Determination of the Difficult Intubation Incidence and its Affecting Factors in Patients Undergoing Septal Deviation Surgery – Prospective Controlled Trial

INTRODUCTION[|]The aim of this prospective clinical study was to compare the incidence of difficult airway in patients undergoing septal deviation with the incidence of difficult airway in patients undergoing tympanoplasty and to determine the factors associated with the incidence of the difficult airway. Investigation of predisposing factors for difficult airway in patients undergoing septal deviation surgery was evaluated as a secondary outcome. [¤]METHODS[|]A total of 255 participants, 130 patients undergoing septoplasty (study group-Group S) and 125 patients undergoing tympanoplasty (control group-Group T) were included in this study. Preoperative airway evaluation was performed using the LEMON protocol. For all patients, the STOP-BANG questionnaire was performed to identify the risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS). Cormack-Lehane laryngeal view grades were noted during laryngoscopy. The definition of difficult intubation was identified according to the Cormack-Lehane scale (I–II=easy, III–IV=difficult). Additionally, the intubation method used, number of intubation attempts, use of stylet, cricoid pressure, and usage of airway were recorded.[¤]RESULTS[|]There were no unintubated patients in this study population. Cormack-Lehane score and incidence of difficult airway were significantly higher in the Group S than the Group T (p