[Use of a laryngeal mask airway for anesthesia in a patient with bronchomalacia].

A 56-year-old woman with bronchomalacia underwent three consecutive operations for bronchoscopy, cautery YAG-laser, and the insertion of a stent under general anesthesia using a laryngeal mask airway (LMA). For the first operation, anesthesia was induced with ketamine 20 mg, diazepam 5 mg and pentazocine 20 mg. The patient was ventilated with N2O-O2-sevoflurane with a face mask. Then vecuronium 6 mg was administered intravenously and LMA was inserted blindly. Anesthesia was maintained with N2O-O2-sevoflurane during bronchoscopy. Immediately after the operation, the patient coughed and experienced dyspnea. The symptoms were alleviated using theophyllin, hydrocortisone and droperidol. For the second and third operations, anesthesia was induced with droperidol and fentanyl with N2O-O2. After administration of vecuronium, LMA was inserted. The patient was stable during the second and third operations compared with the first operation. It was concluded that LMA may be useful for anesthetic management of a patient with bronchomalacia.