Prolonged use of a cook airway exchange catheter obviated the need for postoperative tracheostomy in an adult patient.

Catheters used to facilitate extubations of the known difficult airway are usually placed through an existing endotracheal tube (ETT), prior to its removal. We present a case in which a #11 Cook airway exchange catheter was placed adjacent to the ETT and left intratracheal for an extended period following removal of the ETT.