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Clinical Anesthesiology II pp 267–281Cite as

LMA Morbidity: A Case of Unilateral Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Palsy

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Abstract

Supraglottic airway devices, such as the laryngeal mask airway (LMA), are commonly used as part of the anesthetic management for various procedures. Initially used primarily in the operating room setting, the LMA is now considered a vital accessory device when confronting a difficult or emergent airway. LMAs are generally a safe and easily utilized airway device, but there are infrequent complications arising from their use. Sore throats, oropharyngolaryngeal injuries, and nerve palsies can occur from LMA use. Nerve palsies are some of the more serious complications from LMA use and usually manifest within 48 h. Contributing factors may include an inappropriate size or misplacement of the device, patient position, overinflation of the device cuff, and poor technique. Injuries other than to the recurrent laryngeal nerve are usually mild and self-limiting. In this chapter, we discuss a case of unilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy following the intraoperative use of a Cookgas LMA. The discussion focuses on risk factors for LMA morbidity, airway anatomy and innervation, and diagnosis of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA

    Ryan Suda & Seth Herway

Authors
  1. Ryan Suda
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  2. Seth Herway
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, UCSD Medical Center, UCSD School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA

    Jonathan L. Benumof

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, UCSD Medical Center, UCSD School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA

    Gerard R. Manecke

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Suda, R., Herway, S. (2019). LMA Morbidity: A Case of Unilateral Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Palsy. In: Benumof, J., Manecke, G. (eds) Clinical Anesthesiology II. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12365-9_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12365-9_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-12363-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-12365-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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