Revisiting submental intubation with modification, for complex maxillomandibular surgical repair: A case report

Patients undergoing complex facial trauma repairs often necessitate prudent airway handling when conventional techniques are not feasible. Intubation alternatives for these surgeries include orotracheal route, nasotracheal access, or tracheostomy; each with specific risks/benefits and contraindications. Careful planning, multidisciplinary team collaboration, and early identification of challenges in these complicated cases is crucial as it mitigates potential airway/surgical risks. Submental intubation is a reliably safe and less invasive option for intubation/surgical airway. This case report highlights a modification to submental intubation aimed at reducing complications and improving procedural efficiency. This is achieved through minimizing multiple passes of surgical/anesthesia instruments through a smaller submental tunnel, thereby decreasing traumatic risk of scarring, bleeding and/or injuries to surrounding structures. This technique reinforces the viability of submental intubation as a preferred alternative in select cases where intubation choices are limited without resorting to tracheostomy.