Background: To ensure safe and optimal surgical conditions in thoracic surgery, one-lung ventilation is crucial. Various techniques exist to achieve one-lung ventilation. Tracheotomized patients who require one-lung ventilation represent a unique and rare subgroup that demands specialized knowledge and skills. The very limited literature has discussed alternative methods, no randomized controlled trials have addressed this issue yet.
Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent one-lung ventilation in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of a German University Hospital between 2016 and 2021. The study assessed patient demographics, airway management techniques, ventilation parameters, and adverse events.
Results: In 3,197 anesthesia procedures during the observation period, 152 patients had an existing tracheostomy, of which 56 required one-lung ventilation. Among others in 42 cases, a tracheostomy tube was combined with a bronchial blocker, and in 10 cases, a double-lumen tracheostomy tube was used. There were no severe complications. Intraoperative dislocations that required repositioning of the device occurred in six patients (13.3%) with bronchial blockers and one patient with double-lumen tracheostomy tube (10%).
Conclusion: The management of one-lung ventilation in tracheotomized patients presents unique challenges. While double-lumen tracheostomy tubes have specific advantages, we recommend considering their use carefully. For most tracheotomized patients, bronchial blockers in conjunction with a tracheostomy tube are used, which offers safety and practicality, irrespective of the tracheostomy's age or type. Further research and randomized controlled trials are warranted to establish best practices for one-lung ventilation in this unique patient population.
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