Abstract
The chapter is focused on the history of airway management from ancient times to thelatest developments. The history of airway management is reviewed, with a special focus onprimitive surgical techniques used for maintenance of a patent airway - tracheotomy andtracheostomy.
The first part of this chapter also reviews the historical development of otherairway management techniques - non-invasive approaches, different aids to maintain airwaypatency and the history of orotracheal and nasotracheal intubation.The second part of the chapter describes the invention and development of thelaryngeal mask airway and other supraglottic airway devices. (C) 2013 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.