Retrograde Submental Intubation Assisted with Direct Video Laryngoscopy in Maxillofacial Trauma: Technical Note and Case Report

The management of a difficult airway is one of the biggest challenges of perioperative anesthesia management. The maxillofacial trauma can cause serious disturbances of the soft and hard tissues of the anatomical components of the upper airway and often with little external evidence of deformity. The submental intubation is a procedure that was reported to avoid tracheostomy and allow for the concomitant restoration of occlusion and reduction of facial fractures in patients with craniomaxillofacial trauma ineligibles for nasotracheal intubation. We described a modification of the original technique by performing a retrograde submental intubation assisted by direct laryngoscope video in a maxillofacial trauma patient with restricted mouth opening. In addition, the surgical anatomy of the technique is detailed described.