Percutaneous jet ventilation.

A method of ventilation utilizing an S-shaped cannula placed through the cricothyroid membrane and hooked up to a conventional jetting system is described. Its advantages are reduced morbidity, better ventilation, and an unobstructed view of the operating site for the surgeon. The system allows ventilation of the patient with oxygen prior to the induction, or at the end of anesthesia if necessary, and allows the surgeon to perform a tracheostomy in the usual manner if it is indicated. The system is not proposed as a routine method of ventilation during anesthesia for laryngeal surgery but is reserved for cases in which other methods would not perform adequately.