High endotracheal cuff pressure (ETCP) during surgical retractor splay associates with recurrent laryngeal nerve paresis/ palsy and results in post-anterior cervical spine surgery (post-ACSS) dysphonia. Control of intraoperative ETCP during ACSS may benefit voice outcome. The taper-shaped tracheal tube cuff was originally designed as a new strategy to reduce fluid leakage across the conventional cylindrical cuff and prevention of ventilator associated pneumonia. Literature has revealed the just seal pressure for the tapered-shaped tracheal tube (TT) cuff was lower than conventional cylindrical cuff. Therefore the investigators hypothesize that use of a tapered-shaped ET cuff during the surgery can lead to a lower ETCP during retractors splay and improve voice recovery after ACSS. In this study, 80 patients were randomized into 2 groups, to receive endotracheal intubation using TaperGuard tracheal tube (tapered- shaped cuff) or a conventional tracheal tube (a cylindrical cuff). The just seal pressure, intraoperative cuff pressure, and postoperative sore throat and voice outcome are recorded and compared.
This is a randomized controlled trial focusing on the effect of different tracheal tube cuff shape; the tapered-shaped tracheal tube cuff versus the cylindrical-shaped tracheal cuff in anterior cervical spine surgery.