Publication:

High-flow nasal oxygen for laryngeal tumor debulking: case report and current challenges

High-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) has brought new opportunities in shared airway surgery. Contemporary challenges with its use in severely obstructive conditions such as laryngeal tumors still need to be addressed as there is discrepancy in its use and access among centres. We reported a case in which the use of HFNO allowed laryngeal tumor debulking while avoiding tracheotomy in a stridulous patient. The patient described was a 70 year old patient with stridor at rest secondary to a laryngeal tumor diagnosed five days before surgery. Tumor debulking could be safely initiated under general anaesthesia, which would not have been possible without HFNO. This report served as an example of an alternative to awake tracheotomy in the management of severely obstructive laryngeal pathology We wish to discuss through this case management of severely obstructive laryngeal pathology in the era of HFNO, while encouraging discussion on its potential benefits and limits.