This prospective randomized controlled study evaluated the effects of different endotracheal tube cuff pressure monitoring strategies on postoperative airway complications in patients undergoing elective laparoscopic abdominal surgery under general anesthesia. Excessive endotracheal tube cuff pressure may impair tracheal mucosal perfusion and lead to postoperative airway symptoms such as sore throat, cough, dysphagia, hoarseness, and hemoptysis.
A total of 95 adult patients (ASA I-II) aged 18-65 years were randomly assigned to one of three groups according to the cuff pressure monitoring technique used during surgery: the cuff-leak technique (control group), intermittent cuff pressure monitoring using a manual manometer every 30 minutes, or continuous cuff pressure monitoring using a pressure transducer connected to the pilot balloon.
The primary outcome was the incidence of cuff-related postoperative airway complications at postoperative hours 2 and 24. Secondary outcomes included tracheal mucosal injury assessed by fiberoptic bronchoscopy before extubation and its association with postoperative airway symptoms. The study aimed to determine whether continuous cuff pressure monitoring reduces postoperative airway complications and tracheal mucosal injury compared with intermittent monitoring and the cuff-leak technique.