Endobronchial Intubation of Double-lumen Tube: Conventional Method vs Fiberoptic Bronchoscope Guide Method

Double lumen tube (DLT) needs to be intubated to isolate ventilations of left and right lungs for thoracic surgery. Post-operative sore throat and hoarseness are more frequent with DLT intubation than with single one. Which is may because DLT is relatively thicker, harder, sideway curved and therefore more likely to damage the vocal cord or trachea during intubation, and advanced deeper to the carina and main bronchus level. In the conventional method of intubation, DLT is rotated 90 degrees and advanced blindly to the main bronchus level after DLT is intubated through vocal cord using the direct laryngoscopy. After the blind advancement, the sufficient tube position needs to be gained and confirmed with the fiberoptic bronchoscope. In the bronchoscope guide method, after DLT is intubated through vocal cord using the direct laryngoscopy, the pathway into the targeted main bronchus is secured using the fiberoptic bronchoscope which is passed through a bronchial lumen of DLT. And then DLT can be advanced through the guide of the bronchoscope. In this study, we intend to compare post-operative sore throat, hoarseness and airway injury between the two methods. We hypothesize that the bronchoscope guide method can reduce the post-operative complications and airway injury because surrounding tissues of the airway can be less irritated by DLT intubation in the guide method than in a conventional.

For a constant guide effect, we use fiberoptic bronchoscopes with same outer diameter (4.1 mm) which can pass through a bronchial lumen of 37 and 39 Fr Lt. DLT and cannot pass through 35 Fr or smaller Lt. DLTs.

<Lt. DLT size selection>

* male: ≥160 cm, 39 French; < 160 cm, 37 French * female: ≥160 cm, 37 French; < 160 cm, contraindication