Novel use of laryngeal mask airway classic excel™ for bronchoscopy and tracheal intubation

Abstract

The usage frequency and scope of supraglottic airway devices in anesthesia has expanded since the original laryngeal mask airway (LMA) prototype was invented by Dr Archie Brain in the early 1980s. Today, anesthesiologists are spoilt-for-choice with more than thirty options. The LMA Classic Excel™ was introduced to anesthesia practice in 2009; designed with an epiglottic elevating bar and a removable airway connector to facilitate tracheal intubation using the LMA as a conduit. We present a case report of a women diagnosed with papillary carcinoma of thyroid, who underwent bronchoscopic assessment of the trachea and subsequent intubation for an en-bloc dissection and removal of thyroid gland through the LMA Classic Excel™.