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Competing Interests: Interessenkonflikt: Der Autor gibt an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht.

Horses are obligate nasal breathers and depend on patency of their nasal passages. Several dynamic obstructive diseases in the pharyngeal and laryngeal area can be differentiated by high speed treadmill endoscopy and may be responsible for impaired exercise tolerance in the equine athlete. The anatomical specialty of guttural pouches predisposes the horse to species-specific diseases., (Copyright Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart . New York.)

Objective: Subtotal cordectomy and posterior cordectomy have repeatedly been recommended as surgical interventions restoring the airway, for the treatment of bilateral vocal cord paralysis. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of transoral laser cordectomy and posterior cordectomy as compared to laser arytenoidectomy and to compare the respiratory and phonatory results of these minimally invasive procedures., Material and Methods: Forty patients with bilateral vocal cord paralysis were included in a prospective study and operated upon to improve their laryngeal airways. Twenty-two patients had cordectomy, 13 had arytenoidectomy, and 5 had posterior cordectomy. Lung function tests and voice analysis were obtained preoperatively and postoperatively. Subclinical aspiration was determined by endoscopic evaluation of the larynx during deglutition. The results were compared to determine the relative effectiveness of the three surgical methods., Results: Flow volume spirograms documented equally improved flow rates in both groups. Final voice evaluation revealed maximum phonation time. Peak sound pressure levels and frequency range were reduced in all 28 patients, but phonatory results varied considerably in each group. Subclinical aspiration was noticed in 5 out of 10 patients after arytenoidectomy, but in none of 18 patients after cordectomy. Four previously tracheotomised patients were decannulated within 2 weeks after surgery, while the other 24 patients had no perioperative tracheotomies., Conclusion: Transoral laser cordectomy and arytenoidectomy are equally effective and reliable in the management of the restricted airway. Cordectomy and posterior cordectomy offer the advantage of uncompromised deglutition after surgery. Although no clinically relevant aspiration occurred in any of the patients, cordectomy should be considered as the method of choice in patients for whom subclinical aspiration could be potentially harmful due to coexisting pulmonary or cardiac disease. Phonatory outcome is not predictable with both surgical procedures. Subtotal cordectomy and posterior cordectomy are easier and faster to perform, and subclinical aspiration is not encountered with these procedures.

Body plethysmographic and spirometric indices can be used for routine examinations of obstructive lesions of the larynx and upper trachea. Total resistance, forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) and the S-shaped flow-pressure loop can show clinically significant extrathoracic stenoses. We have now also measured peak inspiratory flow (PIF) and peak expiratory flow (PEF) with a peak flow meter. Easy handling was compared with good reliability of the measurements and possible detection of laryngeal lesions. Extrathoracic stenoses caused turbulent flow, with a flow-dependent increase in total resistance (Rtot). This resistance increased only with severe stenoses, while mild stenoses were often not detected. Peak expiratory flow reacted earlier than did peak inspiratory flow and seemed to be the most reliable parameter for detecting an extrathoracic stenosis. Testing was easy to perform and was usually reproducible. Patients with additional peripheral obstructive stenoses required a more specific examination.

Unlabelled: Surgery by 3-dimensional (3D) endoscopy is being used routinely in abdominal surgery and, in special cases, in thoracic surgery; however, it has not been reported to be used in laryngeal surgery., Methods: We inserted a 3-D endoscope into a jet laryngoscope and studied the pressure properties at the tip of the jet laryngoscope as well as the intrapulmonary pressures while applying SHFJV. The studies were conducted initially using a lung simulator, and then in 6 patients undergoing endoscopic laryngeal surgery., Results: Due to the rather large 3-D endoscope the diameter of the jet laryngoscope was reduced between 25.2% and 70.9% depending on the size of the jet laryngoscope. The measurements on the lung simulator revealed that the reduction of the diameter of the jet laryngoscope leads to an increase in the following parameters: expiratory resistance, tidal volume, and peak inspiratory pressure. The mean FiO2 was 0.74 +/- 0.1; the mean airway pressure was 19 +/- 5.3 mmHg prior to the insertion of the endoscope and 12.3 +/- 6.9 mmHg after the insertion. The mean PEEP values increased from 2 +/- 0.6 to 3.6 +/- 2.3 mmHg. Reduction of the working pressure resulted in regaining the initial inspiratory pressures and tidal volumes., Conclusions: In the clinical application of 3-D endoscopy via a jet laryngoscope it was possible to achieve sufficient ventilation, inspection of the surgical field and performance of the surgical procedure. A CO2 laser was used without changing the ventilation regime.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Unlabelled: Massive stenosis of the larynx may present a potentially life-threatening situation for the patient, requiring immediate measures to ensure a patient's airway. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate potential benefits of Superimposed High Frequency Jet Ventilation (SHFJV) in patients requiring microlaryngeal surgery due to massive stenosis of the larynx., Patients and Methods: 23 patients (age range 1.5 to 90 years) with laryngeal stenosis grade 2 and 3 according to the Cotton scale were ventilated using SHFJV. The duration of the SHFJV was 12 to 116 minutes. SHFJV was performed using a Bronchotron Respirator via a jet-laryngoscope., Results: Arterial blood gases demonstrated paO2 between 71 and 295 mmHg and paCO2 of 28 to 81 mmHg. The mean FiO2 applied was 61.75 +/- 19.26. The airway pressure was measured at the tip of the jet-laryngoscope and was between 6 and 15 mmHg, and PEEP was 1 to 5 mmHg. In 13 patients a CO2 laser was utilised during surgery., Discussion: In all patients SHFJV was performed without problems. Since the ventilation is delivered above any possible stenosis the danger of barotrauma is minimised. The surgeon obtains optimal visibility of the larynx and is not obstructed in the surgical procedure. SHFJV enables both the surgeon and the anesthetist to perform their respective duties and therefore increases the safety of the patient in the management of such a difficult problem as massive stenosis of the larynx.

Unlabelled: Stenotic process of the laryngeal and/or tracheobronchial system may lead to dyspnoea which can become life threatening., Objective: The object of our study was to determine whether sufficient gas exchange can be ensured in patients with a massive stenosis of the respiratory tract applying the Superimposed High-Frequency-Jet-Ventilation (SHFJV) via the jet laryngoscope. Further, it was to be determined whether SHFJV can be applied for insertion of endoluminal stents into the tracheo-bronchial system., Method: SHFJV was applied using the Bronchotron-ventilator (capable of generating simultaneous low frequency and high frequency jets) and the laryngoscope, basically a modified endoscopy tube permitting simultaneous application of two jet modes. SHFJV was performed in 14 patients (including 4 children) suffering from massive laryngeal stenosis and in further 12 patients with stenosis of the tracheo-bronchial system. In all patients total intravenous anaesthesia was performed., Results: In the patients with laryngeal stenosis the average paO2 was 117.5 +/- 43 mmHg, and the mean paCO2 47.3 +/- 11.6 mmHg. In the patients with stenosis of the tracheo-bronchial system the mean paO2 was 125 +/- 77 mmHg and the average paCO2 53.3 +/- 18 mmHg., Conclusions: The SHFJV technique presents the possibility to ventilate the patients continuously for surgical procedures even with massive stenosis of the respiratory tract. The application of SHFJV via the jet laryngoscope not only enables the anaesthesist to ventilate this group of patients but also helps the surgeon and therefore results in more safety for the patient.

The airway resistance of 32 patients with tracheostomies due to tracheal or laryngeal stenoses was measured using the autoflow and the oscillation method. The resistance to flow between the mouth and tracheostomy was determined with the autoflow method. While measuring with the oscillation method the tracheostoma was blocked with stomahaesive . The comparison of both methods resulted in a good correlation (r2 = 0.83). Hence, the oscillation method can be used to determine airway resistance in patients with stenosis of the larynx or trachea, irrespective of whether or not they have a tracheostome .