Comparison of I-gel™ versus Baska mask® on oropharyngeal sealing pressure in patients receiving general anesthesia under spontaneous ventilation: A randomized controlled trial

Background: Baska mask® is a newer third-generation supraglottic airway device (SAD) having a self-sealing membranous cuff that does not require inflation. Oropharyngeal sealing pressure (OSP) is used to quantify the efficacy of airway sealing in SAD. Our primary objective was to compare OSP between Baska mask® and I-gel™ in patients receiving general anesthesia on spontaneous ventilation. The secondary objectives were to determine the ease, duration, number of attempts during insertion, hemodynamic responses, and perioperative complications. Methodology: Fifty patients scheduled for a variety of surgical procedures lasting up to 90 min under general anesthesia were randomly allocated to one of the two groups, Group B (Baska mask®) and Group I (I-gel™). Data were collected and entered into an Excel sheet. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS. Statistical tests used were Student's unpaired t-test, Mann–Whitney U-test, and Fisher's exact test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The OSP was significantly higher in Group B than in Group I (29.4 ± 6.01 vs. 26.32 ± 4.26 cmH2O, respectively) (P = 0.042). The number of attempts, mean duration, and grade of ease of insertion in both groups had no statistical difference. Hemodynamic parameters were not significantly different between both groups. No postoperative complications were noticed in either group. Conclusion: Baska mask® offers a superior airway sealing pressure compared to I-gel™ without significant hemodynamic changes, with equal first-pass success rate and postoperative complications.