Anesthesia Management for Airway Stent Placement Using a Laryngeal Mask Combined with a Nasopharyngeal Airway: A Narrative Review

Abstract

: Central airway stenosis is a life-threatening condition, and airway stenting is a key rescue therapy, but shared airway management remains challenging. Traditional endotracheintubation may aggravate airway injury, whereas laryngeal mask anesthesia alone cannot avoid apnea during stent deployment, resulting in severe hypoxemia. We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library from January 2020 to March 2026 and included 31 studies for qualitative synthesis. The combination of laryngeal mask airway and nasopharyngeal airway maintained continuous ventilation, shortened apneic duration, reduced hypoxemia risk, and resulted in slighter airway injury, more stable hemodynamics, and faster recovery. This safe, effective, minimally invasive strategy is preferred for mild-to-moderate stenosis and can be cautiously used in severe stenosis, supporting standardized clinical application.