Teleflex
LMA Protector
The cuff of Teleflex's
LMA Protector is
made of silicone, a
soft material that pro-
vides a higher seal
pressure, but less
mucosal pressure, and
therefore less effect
on airway anatomy. A company rep said research has shown that sore
throats related to LMA use should occur in less than 13% of cases, and
should be mild and short-lived. However, according to the rep, the
current sore throat rate is approaching 50%, likely because providers
are overinflating cuffs on supraglottic airways.
He said a new inline pressure valve manometer called the Cuff Pilot
measures the LMA Protector's intracuff pressure, which should be no
more than 60 cm of water pressure — an amount that puts very little
pressure on the mucosa. Exceeding that pressure for longer periods
of time restricts blood flow and causes necrosis of the tissue, meaning
the patient might awaken with a severe sore throat, dysphagia or lin-
gual nerve damage. With this device, you insert the airway and inflate
the cuff until the needle on the Cuff Pilot sits in the green zone, which
indicates the cuff is inflated to between 40 and 60 cm H
2
O.
When the LMA Protector is inserted properly, it should sit at the
upper esophageal sphincter. If active or passive regurgitation occurs,
the regurgitant enters the mask, spills into a reservoir along the back
and empties out equally through female and male ports on either side
of the device. Unlike other supraglottic airways, which have a single
gastric tube that runs through the center of the device, the LMA
5 8
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 | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5
z AIRWAY AID Cuff pressure monitoring adds
to the safety of Teleflex's LMA Protector.
