{Reference Type}: Case Reports
{Title}: Unexpected Airway Collapse: A Rare Case of Spontaneous Postoperative Tracheobronchomalacia in the Absence of Identifiable Risk Factors.
{Author}: Roberts WS;Price S;Chernicki BP;Reidy J;Birbeck TL;
{Journal}: Cureus
{Volume}: 16
{Issue}: 4
{Year}: 2024 Apr
暂无{DOI}: 10.7759/cureus.59078
{Abstract}: We report the case of a 53-year-old female who developed tracheobronchomalacia immediately following an uncomplicated robotic hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy to treat postmenopausal bleeding. Induction of anesthesia was notable for moderately difficult intubation, managed with applied cricothyroid pressure and a small 6.5 endotracheal tube placement via GlideScope. The surgical course was uneventful. The patient remained intubated in the post-anesthesia care unit but was not providing end-tidal volumes. Attempts to replace the endotracheal tube with a larger tube were unsuccessful and the patient was temporarily unable to ventilate. Rapid troubleshooting discovered that a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) could sufficiently ventilate the patient. An otolaryngologist was able to perform direct bronchoscopy, which revealed more than 50% dynamic anterior-posterior collapse of the trachea and bronchi. The patient was subsequently awakened from anesthesia and monitored in the intensive care unit, ventilating with an LMA. After a couple of hours, it was determined that the patient's airway was protected, and the LMA was removed.