Introducing the First Distal Pharyngeal Airway

Airway obstruction during anesthesia is a common occurrence with potentially serious outcomes. Increasingly, patients are older, heavier, and more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea—all heightened risk factors for airway complications. These patients undergo procedures where distal pharyngeal tissues can relax, obstructing the airway. As a result, there is a need for airway devices that can stent open distal pharyngeal tissues to maintain adequate ventilation. To physically address this problem, the new distal pharyngeal airway (DPA) prevents airway obstruction and enables providers to maintain ventilation.