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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 | A U G U S T 2 0 1 5
Airway Visualization Technology
It's not just for training and emergencies anymore.
V
ideo-assisted airway management is among the most signifi-
cant developments that anesthesia providers have seen in
the past 2 decades. It's changed the way we take care of our
patients. How many times have struggles with difficult airways forced
us to change course in mid-procedure? Thanks to video laryngo-
scopes and stylets, 9 of which we profile on the following pages,
many of those challenges are no longer an issue.
Once considered a backup option if you ran into trouble intubating
with direct laryngoscopy, video-equipped alternatives can be consid-
ered a first choice for routine as well as challenging cases. We can
attribute this widespread use to 2 factors.
• Advancing technology. The amazing anatomical view they provide
eases providers' placement of endotracheal tubes while reducing the
risk of dental damage and post-op sore throats — a definite patient
T H I N K I N G O F B U Y I N G …
Joseph A. Loskove, MD
z EASY DOES IT Video laryngoscopes offer an efficient,
economical improvement over direct laryngoscopy.