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We present a unique, practical, and safe approach to the clinical management of a young male with a large tongue hemangioma who presented for serial surgical treatment of the lesion. Laser ablation was undertaken in the operating room under topical anesthesia with remifentanil analgosedation without the use of supplemental oxygen. Significant involution of the hemangioma was achieved without complication while the patient was awake, cooperative, and able to protect his airway. The application of remifentanil infusion for analgosedation during airway surgery is described. The utility of pharmacokinetic modeling in these applications is discussed along with the use of non-invasive respiratory inductance plethysmography to monitor ventilation during opioid sedation. The concept of analgosedation for airway surgery is introduced and relative risk versus benefit considerations of the approach in comparison to general anesthesia are discussed. This approach can be conceived of as an ORL endoscopy suite model for limited airway procedures. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractWe describe a 61-year-old female who underwent KTP laser ablation and CRE balloon dilatation of symptomatic idiopathic subglottic stenosis (50 obstruction). The procedure was conducted, using our standard approach for such cases, under total intravenous general anesthesia with subglottic high-frequency jet ventilation (HFJV) via Lindholm laryngoscope. The patient was enrolled in an ongoing investigational protocol in which respiratory inductance plethysmography (RIP; Ambulatory Monitoring Inc., Ardsley, N.Y., USA) bands were used to monitor ventilation in addition to pulse oximetry and visual inspection. HFJV instituted with an Acutronic Monsoon jet ventilator (Acutronic Medical, Hirzel, Switzerland) resulted in a rapid increase in RIP signal amplitude consistent with breath stacking and inadequate expiratory flow around the tight stenosis. High pressure alarms sounded and automatic cessation of jet ventilation ensued. After successful tracheal dilation under intermittent apnea, subsequent jet ventilation produced only modest RIP amplitude changes. RIP may be an important safety monitor during jet ventilation for patients with obstructive tracheal lesions to lessen the risk of both barotrauma and hypoventilation. RIP remains under active study by our group for this purpose.Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]