Retrograde submental intubation by pharyngeal loop technique in a patient with faciomaxillary trauma and restricted mouth opening.

Abstract

Submental intubation is useful for airway management during maxillofacial surgery when both nasal and orotracheal intubation are deemed unsuitable and to avoid a tracheostomy, especially when long-term ventilatory support is not required in the postoperative period. Adequate mouth opening is a prerequisite for all the techniques described for submental intubation, as the initial step is orotracheal intubation. Hence, this procedure has never been reported in a patient with the inability to open the mouth. We describe the technique of retrograde submental intubation with the help of a pharyngeal loop assembly for the first time in a patient with maxillofacial trauma and restricted mouth opening in whom oral and nasal intubations were not possible and tracheostomy was the only alternative. In this case report, with successful retrograde submental intubation, the potential complications associated with a short-term tracheostomy were avoided, as there was no indication for keeping a tracheostomy during the postoperative period.