title: The impossible airway: a plan.
abstract: A patient presented with near complete airway obstruction due to a massive tumor. Nonsurgical methods failed to secure the airway, and surgical approaches were considered unlikely to succeed in a timely fashion. Cardiopulmonary bypass via femoral-femoral cannulation with the use of local anesthesia and a portable unit, followed by IV anesthesia, allowed the surgeons to perform a controlled tracheotomy.
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Service, Department of Surgery, Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii 96859-5000, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Barcia
mesh_terms: D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000209:etiology*; D000771:Anesthesia, Intravenous; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000150:complications; D014140:Tracheotomy