Open Access

Successful intubation with a flexible optical stylet in a patient with predictors of difficult airway using pharyngeal clearance technique with a laryngoscope: A case report

  • Authors:
    • Alexis Israel Bonilla González
    • Jimmy Gabriel Rivas Alpuche
    • Hugo Enrique Navarrete García
    • Lobsang Harish Wong Salazar
    • Carlos Martín Atondo Laguna
    • Perla Alejandra Avilés Sánchez
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: May 5, 2025     https://doi.org/10.3892/mi.2025.239
  • Article Number: 40
  • Copyright : © Bonilla González et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License [CC BY 4.0].

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Abstract

General anesthesia (GA) is associated with risks, including inadequate ventilation, which significantly contributes to morbidity and mortality. A difficult airway (DA) is characterized by the inability to achieve adequate ventilation and occurs in 1.2 to 3.8% of adults undergoing GA. Although laryngoscopy is the standard method for intubation, alternatives, such as video laryngoscopy and optical stylets (OS) are particularly valuable in DA cases. The present study describes the case of a 61‑year‑old female patient with a history of diabetes, hypertension and thyroid cancer who underwent surgery for tumor resection following cancer recurrence. Given the presence of a DA, intubation was successfully performed using a flexible OS with a pharyngeal clearance technique. Anesthesia was maintained with desflurane and fentanyl, and the procedure proceeded smoothly with minimal blood loss. The patient remained hemodynamically stable throughout the surgery and was extubated awake without complications. The present case report highlights the successful intubation of a patient with a predicted DA using an OS and a pharyngeal clearance technique. The OS provides several advantages, including reduced autonomic stimulation, portability and cost‑effectiveness. However, further research on intubation times is required to refine this approach and facilitate its comparison with other methods in clinical practice.
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July-August 2025
Volume 5 Issue 4

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Spandidos Publications style
Bonilla González AI, Rivas Alpuche JG, Navarrete García HE, Wong Salazar LH, Atondo Laguna CM and Avilés Sánchez PA: Successful intubation with a flexible optical stylet in a patient with predictors of difficult airway using pharyngeal clearance technique with a laryngoscope: A case report. Med Int 5: 40, 2025.
APA
Bonilla González, A.I., Rivas Alpuche, J.G., Navarrete García, H.E., Wong Salazar, L.H., Atondo Laguna, C.M., & Avilés Sánchez, P.A. (2025). Successful intubation with a flexible optical stylet in a patient with predictors of difficult airway using pharyngeal clearance technique with a laryngoscope: A case report. Medicine International, 5, 40. https://doi.org/10.3892/mi.2025.239
MLA
Bonilla González, A. I., Rivas Alpuche, J. G., Navarrete García, H. E., Wong Salazar, L. H., Atondo Laguna, C. M., Avilés Sánchez, P. A."Successful intubation with a flexible optical stylet in a patient with predictors of difficult airway using pharyngeal clearance technique with a laryngoscope: A case report". Medicine International 5.4 (2025): 40.
Chicago
Bonilla González, A. I., Rivas Alpuche, J. G., Navarrete García, H. E., Wong Salazar, L. H., Atondo Laguna, C. M., Avilés Sánchez, P. A."Successful intubation with a flexible optical stylet in a patient with predictors of difficult airway using pharyngeal clearance technique with a laryngoscope: A case report". Medicine International 5, no. 4 (2025): 40. https://doi.org/10.3892/mi.2025.239