5. Improved
designs
Although the earliest
video laryngoscopes
were expensive and
bulky, newer models
boast more stream-
lined designs and more
affordable price tags. If
you haven't shopped
the latest devices in
recent years, the currently available options are worth another look.
Newer platforms are compact and portable, and in some cases can
fit in the pocket of your scrubs. The devices come with intuitive con-
trols and feature high-quality video screens for clear, bright views of
patients' airway anatomies. More blade sizes are also available, giving
providers additional options for securing airways of various shapes.
6. The future of care
The gradual shift to the routine use of video laryngoscopy will resem-
ble the evolution from open to laparoscopic surgery. Younger sur-
geons are hardly able to do an open procedure, because that's not
how they were trained and they don't practice the techniques. As new
anesthesia providers learn how to intubate with video laryngoscopy,
use of the devices will become more widespread.
Some providers argue that anesthetists who rely solely on video
laryngoscopy eventually lose their capacity to perform direct laryn-
goscopy. That may be true, but would it really matter?
Video laryngoscopes offer a natural progression from standard intu-
bation techniques. Yes, the devices are sometimes difficult to use in
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O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | M A Y 2 0 1 5
z DIRECT PATH Video laryngoscopy provides
views of the glottis, even when maneuvering
around challenging airway anatomy.
