Comparison of the i‐gel and the LMA‐Unique laryngeal mask airway in patients with mild to moderate obesity during elective short‐term surgery

Abstract

The aim of our study was to compare leakage pressure, ease and time of insertion of the i-gel and the LMA-Unique laryngeal mask airway in patients with mild to moderate obesity during elective short-term surgery. In this prospective, randomised crossover trial, we included patients with a body mass index (BMI) >25 and <35 kg.m(-2) , and , age >18 years, undergoing elective surgery in the supine position with an expected duration of surgery <2 h. Leakage pressures, insertion difficulty, time and number of insertion attempts were evaluated. We included 50 patients consisting of 29 mildly (BMI>25 and < 30 kg.mg(-2) ) and 21 moderately (BMI>30 and < 35 kg.mg(-2) ) obese patients. Mean (SD) leakage pressures were 23.7 (9.2) cmH₂O (i-gel) and 17.4 (7.0) cmH₂O (LMA-Unique) (p<0.01). Subgroup analyses showed leakage pressures of 22.2 (9.4) cmH₂O (i-gel) and 17.5 (7.5) cmH₂O (LMA-Unique) (p=0.013) in the mild subgroup, and 25.7 (8.6) cmH₂O (i-gel) and 17.0 (6.2) cmH₂O (LMA-Unique) (p<0.01), in the moderate subgroup. Insertion of the i-gel was associated with significantly higher leakage pressures compared with the LMA-Unique in mildly and moderately obese patients.