Anesthetic management of the patient scheduled for head and neck cancer surgery

For the patient scheduled for head and neck cancer surgery, careful assessment of the airway demonstrates the most appropriate course of action for securing the airway before surgery begins. Often the patient may be anesthetized safely before intubation of the trachea. The patient may require an awake examination of the airway under sedation and topical analgesia or an awake fiberoptic intubation before the induction of general anesthesia. To secure the airway in some patients, a tracheostomy may be needed. After the operation, extubation of the trachea requires careful attention and may be even more of a challenge than the original intubation. Current principles and techniques for the anesthetic management of the patient undergoing head and neck cancer surgery are reviewed. Emphasis is placed on avoiding the airway problems associated with this kind of surgery.