Abstract
Supraglottic airway devices currently belong to routine clinical practice for securing the airways in elective procedures, but also for tracheal intubation or oxygenation in difficult intubation scenarios. Other indications are airway management in emergency and intensive care medicine or pre-hospital care.
Increased safety requirements, extended indications, and use in acute situations have led to the development of novel supraglottic airway devices. Universal devices such as Ambu Aura Gain, LMA Protector, or i-gel Plus allow use in elective surgery and subsequent fiberscope-guided tracheal intubation.
Other devices such as the LMA Guardian have been developed in order to increase seal pressures, while the Baska mask has a self-regulating cuff pressure that should theoretically reduce the incidence of postoperative complications. LMA Gastro was developed for endoscopic procedures on the oesophagus and stomach, iLTS, and TotalTrack VLM as special aids for difficult airway management.