Temporomandibular joint ankylosis presents a serious problem for airway management. This relatively rare problem becomes even more difficult to manage in children because of their smaller mouth opening with near total trismus, and the need for general anaesthesia before making any attempts to secure the airway. A technique for securing the airway that combines local blocks for nerves of larynx and topical anaesthesia of upper airways for placement of these blocks, and minimal general anaesthesia for these manoeuvres, is described. For general anaesthesia, a combination of halothane and ether by spontaneous ventilation, using bilateral nasopharyngeal airways, was used. Because of the severe trismus, a tongue depressor or tip of a laryngoscope was used with a fibreoptic light source in the buccal sulcus to visualize the tracheal tube in the pharynx. Nasal forceps, with a smaller tip and narrower blade than Magill forceps was used to guide the tracheal tube towards the air bubbles coming out of larynx. No attempt was made to visualize the larynx, but its position was guessed from the direction of these air bubbles. We review the anaesthetic technique in 15 such cases of severe trismus managed successfully between 1986 and 1999.

Apert syndrome is autosomal dominant disease associated with multiple craniofacial and limb deformities. These children usually face many orthopedic, orthodental operative procedures. As anesthetist, we face difficulties in airway management due to mid-facial hypoplasia, craniosynostosis. We report a case of Apert syndrome which was referred to us for syndactyly release, focusing on the difficulties and complications related to it.

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Persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia of infancy (PHHI) is rare, but an important cause of hypoglycemia in infants, associated with a number of structural abnormalities of the endocrine pancreas is collectively termed as “Islet cell dysmaturation syndrome.” We present the anesthetic management in a clinically diagnosed case of PHHI in a 22 days old full term child, undergoing Subtotal Pancreatectomy. We have discussed the challenges faced in the intra-operative period in managing this neonate for pancreatic resection surgery with focus on intra-operative management of blood glucose levels.

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