Use of bronchial blockers: a retrospective review of 302 cases

The purpose of this retrospective review is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the bronchial blockers (BBs) used in thoracic anesthesia. We enrolled 302 patients who had a BB placed to achieve one-lung ventilation (OLV). Variables recorded from the anesthetic record included type of device used, type and side of surgery, specific indications for OLV, Mallampati score, route of intubation, and complications related to the use of BBs. The BBs used include the Arndt Wire-guided, Univent, Cohen Flexi-tip, Fogarty catheter, and Fuji. The majority of BBs placed were Arndt (n = 156) or Univent (n = 131). BBs were used significantly more often in thoracoscopic procedures than in thoracotomies (P < 0.01). Of the 251 patients, 216 (86%) had a Mallampati score of I/II and 35 (14%) had a score of III/IV. There were no identified complications related to BBs. In summary, BBs can be safely used to achieve OLV and offer advantages for OLV in specific situations.