Airway stenting is a technique in which a stent is introduced into a stenotic site of the airway. This prospective randomized interventional study addressed the effectiveness and safety of controlled ventilation via muscle relaxants (MR) under anesthesia for airway stenting which will help recognize safest anesthetic techniques for airway stenting. The use of muscle relaxants reduced the incidence of desaturation events thereby sustaining a favourable respiratory status.

This study examined whether controlled ventilation with MR during airway stenting decreases the occurrence of desaturation events (percutaneous oxygen saturation, Spo2 <95%) in comparison with the use of spontaneous respiration (SP).

A total of 64 patients were subjected to the controlled ventilation were divided into MR or SP group. Total intravenous (IV) anesthesia via propofol target-controlled infusion and remifentanil was used. Following the administration of MR, a rigid bronchoscope was inserted to perform controlled ventilation in the MR group.

The occurrence of desaturation events in the SP and MR groups was 75.0% (24/32) and 9.7% (3/31) as observed in the following table:

The mean intraoperative pH was lower in the SP group as compared to the MR group. Also, SP group had greater mean partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide, Paco2 (70.2 ± 17.0 versus 40.5 ± 8.0 mm Hg) and lesser mean partial pressure of oxygen in the arterial blood/fraction of the inspiratory oxygen ratio (263.1 ± 64.2 versus 396.4 ± 69.4 mm Hg).

Desaturation events decreased with the help of controlled ventilation with MR.