Abstract

One of the major responsibilities of an anesthesiologist is to provide adequate ventilation to the patient. Difficult airway has been responsible for as many as 30% of deaths attributable to anesthesia. The I-gel is the most recent development in supraglottic airway devices. The I-gel is a new single use non inflatable supraglottic airway device. The seal created is sufficient for both spontaneously breathing patients and for intermittent positive pressure ventilation. The Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA) is extremely useful when used conservatively and has proved valuable as a rescue device in both elective and emergency situations, obviating the need for laryngoscopy and virtually requiring minimal training in its use.
Methodology: A study was conducted on 60 adult patients, of both sexes in a randomized prospective manner undergoing elective surgery belonging to ASA physical status I and II.
Group I (30 patients) for I-gel insertion
Group II (30 patients) for classic LMA insertion
Both the devices were compared in relation to the hemodynamic changes, ease of insertion and post-operative sore throat with classic LMA and I-gel in patients undergoing elective surgeries with spontaneous ventilation.
Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of ease of insertion, number of attempts, hemodynamic changes andpostoperative sore throat and other complications.
Conclusion: Both I-gel and cLMA are easy to insert and provide an effective airway during spontaneous ventilation.