Elective use of surgical cricothyroidotomy for maxillofacial fracture fixation with contraindication of nasotracheal intubation: a case report

We report three cases of airway management with elective surgical cricothyroidotomy (SCT) for anesthetic management during surgical repair of maxillofacial injury involving basal skull fracture or nasal-bone fracture. In all patients, general anesthesia was induced, a supraglottic airway (SGA) device inserted, and SCT performed. Tracheal intubation was performed through SCT site, and the SGA device was removed. After surgery of maxillofacial fixation, the SGA device was re-inserted and the tracheal tube was removed. No major complications, such as subglottic stenosis or voice change, occurred. SCT holds potential as an alternative to tracheostomy because of ease of performance, fewer complications, and better cosmetic outcomes. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40981-015-0021-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.