Bonus - Live at IVECCS: Emergency Airway Management Without the Tracheostomy: New Surgical Approaches with Dr. Cassie Lux

We’re live at IVECCS! For the next few days we’ll be sharing some highlights from our favourite recordings with the fabulous IVECCS speakers, where we get to the best bits from their talks at IVECCS, the premier conference for emergency and critical care veterinarians, technicians, practice managers, and students. 

How much do you love intubating dogs with upper airway issues? You know that Frenchie or Pug needs an open airway - NOW - but you also know that intubating it is going to be hard. (And you REALLY would prefer not to do a tracheostomy!) We have good news…

In today’s highlight we hear from Dr Cassie Lux, Associate Professor of Surgery at University of Tennessee, to dig into her talk on upper airway emergencies. The conversation covers how to identify the likely location of airway obstructions, prepare for safe intubation, and apply temporary surgical techniques that stabilise patients without committing to high-risk interventions. From temporary palatopexies to laryngeal stents and novel uses for human piercing gear, Dr. Lux outlines tools and procedures that general practitioners and ECC clinicians can implement right away.

Topics Covered:

• Why definitive airway surgery during crisis leads to poorer outcomes
• Sound-based and visual cues to localise airway obstruction
• Equipment essentials for challenging intubations 
• Palatopexy as a temporary airway intervention
• Use of laryngeal stents in laryngeal paralysis and collapse
• Alternative temporary tracheostomy sites and techniques 
• Novel use of silicone “flesh tunnels” for airway access
• Managing airway swelling 
• When to delay tracheostomy and opt for prolonged intubation
• Tips for extubation and airway support during recovery

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