Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, Vol 3, 62-67, Copyright © 1956 by Canadian Anesthesiologists' Society

Anaesthetic Techniques and the "Open Chest"

¹ Notre Dame Hospital, Montreal, Que

Solution of the manifold technical problems associated with anaesthesia for "open chest" surgery depends primarily on a thoiough understanding of the physiological and mechanical aspects involved. Too strict adherence to any standardized routine may spell failure if each patient and each surgical demand are not clearly recognized by each anaesthetist.

Endotracheal and endobronchial general anaesthesia have displaced other methods. Drugs and equipment to carry out these techniques are numerous but are of limited assistance in providing a perfect answer to meet the challenge. The arm-chair or the floor-walker type of anaesthetist stands to gain immeasurably in experience and skill by close study and minute-to-minute observation of patients submitted to this form of anaesthesia.

Note:

From a Panel Discussion on "Anaesthesia and the Open Chest," held, under the direction of Dr. S. M. Campbell, at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Anaesthetists' Society m the Banting Institute of the University of Toronto, June 20, 21, and 22, 1955.