Mohd Saif Khan
Tata Memorial Hospital, India
Title: Difficult weaning off ventilator following head and neck surgery
Biography
Biography: Mohd Saif Khan
Abstract
A 76 year old hypertensive lady, a case of carcinoma of oral cavity underwent modified type-2 neck dissection and reconstruction with a pectoralis major myocutaneous flap. She developed necrosis of flap; hence, reconstructive surgery with a free radial artery graft was scheduled. But she was rendered unfit for this procedure as she was maintaining a low saturation of 90-91% on room air. Definitive surgery was deferred and a debridement of the necrosed graft with skin grafting to cover the defect was performed. She was shifted to intensive care unit and continued to require ventilator support and developed recurrent basal collapse of lungs and pneumonia. Despite complete treatment of pneumonia, she was difficult to wean off ventilator. On ultrasound of thorax something was discovered which cleared all the qualms regarding her low preoperative saturations before second surgery and difficult weaning thereafter