The laryngeal mask airway (LMA) was invented by Dr. Archie Brain at the London Hospital, Whitechapel, in 1981. Dr. Brain's main objective for the LMA was that it would provide a better method of maintaining a patient's airway than by face mask. Also, the LMA would be less hemodynamically stressful than with insertion of an endotracheal tube. The LMA consists of a silicone rubber tube connected ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of surgical management in fistulous dacryocystitis cases associated with nasolacrimal duct (NLD) obstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-two patients (14 female, 8 male) with fistulous dacryocystitis were included. The patients were divided into two groups as congenital (Group I) and acquired (Group II) groups. Fis...

Objective The treatment of laryngotracheal stenosis is a major therapeutic challenge. Various treatments include observation, medical management, and surgical management. The most effective surgical management is resection and reconstruction. To the authors' knowledge, no reports have described the use of xenogenic acellular dermal matrix (ADM) for laryngotracheal stenosis. Methods A 27-year-ol...

We present a 3-year-old, preterm, male patient, who suffered bronchopulmonary dysplasia and was tracheostomised, giving rise to Cotton grade III subglottic stenosis (SS) secondary to prolonged intubation, which was subsequently treated by laryngotracheofissure with a posterior cricoid split and interposition of anterior costal cartilage and placement of a new suprastomal stent (Fig. 1). The lar...

There is no clear consensus concerning the best endoscopic treatment of benign refractory esophageal strictures due to caustic ingestion. Different procedures are currently used: frequent multiple dilations, retrievable self-expanding stent, nasogastric intubation and surgery. We describe a new technique to fix a suspended esophageal silicone prosthesis to the neck in benign esophageal strictur...

Accessible online at: www.karger.com/res How can BAL be helpful to elucidate pulmonary complications arising from changes in the vaginal wall? The answer is given in a case report by Kim et al. [1] in this issue of Respiration. The authors report the case of a 46year-old woman who was admitted to hospital with acute respiratory failure resulting from acute pneumonitis requiring immediate intuba...

OBJECTIVES To determine the outcome and long-term efficacy of external dacryocystorhinostomy (ext-DCR) with or without bicanalicular silicon intubation in patients with functional nasolacrimal drainage obstruction (FNLDO). MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients with epiphora and patent lacrimal systems on nasolacrimal irrigation were prospectively enrolled in the study. Each patient was assessed with...