Abstract Unanticipated difficult airway and previous failed intubation scenarios represent a formidable challenge to anaesthesiologists. We report the successful use of a hybrid technique – retrograde catheter-guided flexible bronchoscopic intubation – in a 70-year-old male undergoing oesophagoscopy following multiple unsuccessful prior intubation attempts. Airway trauma and oedema impaired glottic visualisation during awake bronchoscopy. An epidural catheter was advanced retrogradely through a cricothyroid puncture, serving as a guide for the flexible bronchoscope to the glottis, enabling atraumatic intubation. This case highlights the utility of combining retrograde and bronchoscopic techniques in securing the airway where conventional methods fail.
Kaniyil et al. (Thu,) studied this question.