There has been a revival of interest in the use of bronchial blockers for lung isolation particularly due to the problems which are encountered because of the limitations of double-lumen tubes in patients with abnormal upper or lower airway anatomy. The following is one of a series of articles and related links to the recently released Arndt Wire-guided Endobronchial Blockade(WEB)Catheter which can be very useful in many of these patients.

Title:Wire-guided endobronchial blockade in a patient with a limited mouth opening.

Arndt GA, Buchika S, Kranner PW, DeLessio ST
Can J Anaesth 1999 Jan;46(1):87-9

Department of Anesthesiology, University of Wisconsin Clinical Sciences Center,
Madison 53792-3272, USA.

PURPOSE: We report the use of wire-guided endobronchial blockade, a new method
of achieving one-lung ventilation, in a patient requiring awake, nasal,
fibreoptic intubation for resection of a lung carcinoma. CLINICAL REPORT: A
43-yr-old woman with limited mouth opening, from severe TMJ dysfunction,
required a right thoracotomy for right upper lobe wedge resection. One-lung
ventilation was accomplished using a new type of wire-guided endobronchial
blocker. The device was placed coaxially through the endotracheal tube using a
pediatric bronchoscope through a special bronchoscopy port. CONCLUSION:
Effective one-lung ventilation was achieved using this system. The system may
prove advantageous in clinical situations where placement of double lumen
endotracheal tubes or Univent tubes is technically impractical or impossible.