Abstract
BackgroundThe anesthetist and other members of the perioperative team need to be extremely cautious for successful completion of any surgery. If the final step of any general anesthetic-extubation is not sufficiently well planned, it can lead to critical airway incidents during the extubation and hinder transportation of the patient to the post-anesthesia care unit.Case presentationA 48-year-old female underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) combined with left lower lobectomy. The distal end of the left branch of the tracheal tube was lodged by surgical sutures. In this case, the respiratory physician burned the sutures using an argon electrode, after discussion with the thoracic surgery experts.ConclusionsTeamwork is essential when caring for a patient with a shared airway. The anesthetist and surgeon must communicate well with each other to achieve optimal surgical outcomes. Importantly, testing the patency of the ETT prior to extubation should be a regular procedure, which is practical significance to guide safe extubation.
Highlights
The anesthetist and other members of the perioperative team need to be extremely cautious for successful completion of any surgery
Most thoracoscopic surgeries are performed under general anesthesia with double-lumen endotracheal intubation
Extubation is an essential procedure in anesthesia and critical care medicine
Summary
Teamwork is essential when caring for a patient with a shared airway. The anesthetist and surgeon must communicate well with each other to achieve optimal surgical outcomes. Testing the patency of the ETT prior to extubation should be a regular procedure, which is practical significance to guide safe extubation
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