Porter, Steven B.

Gastric ultrasound is emerging as a tool that can be used to assess gastric content and volume in patients with an unknown fasting history. This information can impact the choice of anesthetic technique or the timing of surgery due to the presumed risk of aspiration. Currently, no data are available regarding the use of gastric ultrasound for patients who have had prior gastric operations, despite the increasing number of patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Our experience suggests that a patient with a prior Roux-en-Y gastric bypass may present with altered anatomy, rendering gastric ultrasound an ineffective technique to assess the volume of ingested food or liquid.

Oropharyngeal stenosis can manifest as a rare complication after surgery for obstructive sleep apnea or tonsillectomy. Scar tissue formation from oropharyngeal stenosis may impede tracheal intubation or laryngeal mask airway insertion. We report the case of an asymptomatic adult woman found to have oropharyngeal stenosis after induction of anesthesia and discuss the management of this challenging scenario. We also contrast oropharyngeal stenosis with nasopharyngeal stenosis, another rare complication of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty.