Airway Management Techniques in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Preferred techniques of securing an airway like orotracheal, nasotracheal may not always be applicable, thus a trauma surgeon-anaesthesist team should always have alternative techniques in their armamentarium to reduce the morbidity associated with these patients. One technique may not be applicable for every patient, thus knowledge about different techniques available is equally required. Any situation when a patient cannot be oxygenated or ventilated should prompt the insertion of a surgical airway. Any effort to keep the airway open is important and lifesaving in such situations. A choice must be made regarding the kind of airway control that will work best for the planned surgery. Some patients enter the operating room aware, breathing on their own, and with just little maxillofacial injuries. Nasoendotracheal intubation may be utilised for airway management during surgery in some patients. Patients who have midface fractures or fractures at the base of the skull should generally avoid nasoendotracheal intubation. When a patient needs facial intubation, a less-used, safe, and effective method is submental intubation.