The Effect of Fiberoptic Bronchoscopy-guided Technique for Placement of a Left-sided Double-lumen Tube on the Intubation Performance Compared with the Conventional Method Using a Macintosh Laryngoscope

The accurate placement of the double-lumen endotracheal tube is imperative for effective one-lung ventilation in thoracic surgery. Malpositioning and repositioning of a misplaced tube may cause excessive trauma.

We hypothesized that the fiberoptic bronchoscope-guided method for double-lumen endotracheal tube placement would reduce the incidence of malpositioning as compared to the conventional method using the Macintosh laryngoscope.

Fifty patients scheduled to undergo elective thoracic surgery were recruited and randomly assigned to the fiberoptic bronchoscope-guided [n=25; Group F] and conventional [n=25; Group C] method groups, according to the method of double-lumen endotracheal tube placement. The primary outcome was the incidence of double-lumen endotracheal tube malpositioning observed under the fiberoptic bronchoscope after initial placement. Secondary outcomes included the times for placement, confirmation, and total procedure of double-lumen endotracheal tube intubation.

The incidence of malpositioning after initial double-lumen endotracheal tube placement was significantly lower in Group F than in Group C (20.0% vs 68.0%). In addition, the time for placement was significantly higher in Group F than in Group C, and that for confirmation was significantly lower in Group F than in Group C.

The fiberoptic bronchoscope-guided method for double-lumen endotracheal tube placement can reduce the incidence of malpositioning after initial placement and expedite the intubation process with a double-lumen endotracheal tube in thoracic surgery.