A complication of double-lumen endotracheal tubes resulting in delayed laryngeal injury and dyspnea: a case report and literature analysis.

Abstract

Background: Double-lumen endotracheal tubes(DLTs) is often used in lung surgery and is more likely to cause throat injury than single-lumen endotracheal tubes. However, it is rare to have an occult giant laryngeal cyst and upper airway obstruction after DLTs, causing severe complications such as dyspnea. This serious complication endangers the patient's life and safety.

Case presentation: A 55-year-old woman underwent surgical resection of a lung tumor under DLTs. Approximately 3 months after surgery, she went to the hospital for treatment due to hoarseness and dyspnea after a change in body position. Laryngoscopy revealed that the upper airway was obstructed due to a large cyst in the throat, which required surgical resection. Although the crisis was resolved by surgical resection, this serious complication of endotracheal intubation, which could have endangered the patient's life, was indeed worrisome.

Conclusions: The DLTs is thick, and the positioning of the intubation technology is high, which increases the likelihood of a throat injury. Thus, it is necessary to actively prevent its occurrence during operation. Hoarseness after operation needs early examination to detect and treat the injury early and avoid such serious complications.