Abstract

Aim: An unanticipated difficult airway (UDA) can be very challenging for anesthesiologists in airway management and, if not managed appropriately, may lead to increased morbidity and even mortality in patients. Because patients with normal physical examination findings may also have a difficult airway, meticulous preparations are essential for every patient. Our study investigated the five-year outcomes of a tertiary care hospital in patients with UDA.
Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 143 patients with UDA who underwent surgery under general anesthesia between January 2020 and March 2025. We evaluated their airway management: preoperative physical examination findings, demographics, comorbidities, mask ventilation, laryngoscopic visualization, and tracheal intubation success.
Results: We found that videolaryngoscopy (VL) improved glottic visualization compared to direct laryngoscopy (DL) in patients with UDA (p

Key words: Anesthesia; airway management; difficult airway; intubation; laryngoscopy; videolaryngoscopy