Korean J Anesthesiol.  2002 Feb;42(2):141-147. 10.4097/kjae.2002.42.2.141.

Esophageal Motility during General Anesthesia Laryngeal Mask Airway Versus Endotracheal Tube

• Yong Y
• Park SK
• Cheong YP
• Kim JH
• Kim HY
• Kim TY
• Yoon JS

• KMID: 2039797
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.2002.42.2.141

Abstract

BACKGROUND: To know whether the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) triggers a pharyngo-esophago- gastric reflex during general anesthesia, we compared the esophageal motility of patients with an LMA or endotracheal tube (ETT) in place.
METHODS
Fifty patients (ASA I or II) scheduled for elective orthopedic surgery with general anesthesia were randomly allocated into LMA (n = 30) or ETT (n = 20) groups. The esophageal manometric inputs were recorded continuously using an ambulatory esophageal manometric recorder and divided into five perioperative phases (preanaesthesia, induction, operation, LMA or ETT rejection, and arousal phase).
RESULTS
The peristaltic percent and number of contractions per minute were significantly decreased during induction, operation, LMA or ETT rejection and arousal phases compared with preanesthetic phases in both the LMA and ETT groups. However, there were no significant group differences in any corresponding perioperative phases.
CONCLUSIONS
We suggest that during general anesthesia the use of a LMA does not provoke significantly different esophageal peristalsis compared with an ETT. Thus, the LMA is unlikely to potentiate gastric regurgitation and reflux during general anesthesia by stimulating the pharyngo-esophago-gastric reflex.

Keyword

Esophageal motility; endotracheal tube; laryngeal mask airway

MeSH Terms

Anesthesia, General*
Arousal
Humans
Laryngeal Masks*
Laryngopharyngeal Reflux
Orthopedics
Peristalsis
Reflex