Comparison of insertion characteristics of LMA ProSeal from the front and head-end of the patient: A randomized pilot study.

Background and aims: LMA ProSeal (PLMA) is a commonly used airway maintenance device in elective procedures and is routinely inserted from the head-end of the patient. It is also used in pre-hospital emergencies where it may not always be possible to access the head-end. This study aims to compare the insertion characteristics of PLMA when inserted while standing, either at the head-end or from the front.

Material and methods: After institutional ethics committee approval, 60 consenting patients of either sex, between 18 and 60 years, ASA class I/II, and scheduled to undergo elective surgeries were randomly allocated to either group H (head-end insertion) or group F (front-end insertion). Patients with anticipated difficult airway, chronic respiratory disease, obesity, and who were pregnant were excluded. Insertion time, ease of insertion, fiber optic view, ease of drain tube insertion, number of attempts and success rate were noted. Normally distributed quantitative variables were compared using t-test, and qualitative variables were compared using Chi-squared test. A P < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results: Insertion time in group H (23.76 ± 4.48 s) was lesser than in group F (30.53 ± 6.23s) (P = 0.027). Ease of insertion (P = 0.052), fiber optic view, ease of drain tube placement (P = 1.000), and number of attempts (P = 1.000) were comparable among the groups.

Conclusion: Although the insertion time from the front is longer than from the head-end, the other insertion characteristics of PLMA including ease of its insertion, placement and success rate of placement are similar when it is inserted from the front or from the head-end. It is an appropriate airway device for securing the airway when the head-end is inaccessible.