Challenges in Lung Isolation in a Tracheostomized Patient: A Case Report

Tracheostomized patients who require one-lung ventilation represent a unique challenge for the anaesthesiologist: on the one hand, the need to protect the airway safely and, on the other, provide optimal lung isolation for surgery. A 65-year-old tracheostomized patient scheduled for an esophagectomy requiring one-lung ventilation raised a challenge in lung isolation using a bronchial blocker. The authors describe the strategies applied to overcome the obstacle and review lung isolation techniques in this type of patient.