General: Obesity and Difficult Airway

Abstract

In this chapter the essential aspects of difficult airway management in the obese patient are reviewed. In this case study, the patient is scheduled to undergo a laparoscopic gastric bypass. The chapter is divided into preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative sections with important subtopics related to the main topic in each section. Preoperative topics include differentiating obstructive sleep apnea from obstructive sleep hypopnea. Intraoperative topics include monitoring, premedication, and intubation. Postoperative concerns include extubation, managing hyperglycemia, pain control, and the patient’s mental status. The use of different modalities for securing the airway as well as the difficult airway algorithm are reviewed in detail.