Evaluation of inter incisal mouth opening for airway maintenance in oral submucous fibrosis.

[oral submucous fibrosis]

Determination of difficult airway maintenance preoperatively holds a great significance in different intubation techniques and also surgical exploration of airway . No data is available for relation of airway maintenance and preoperative interincisal mouth opening in oral submucous fibrosis patients .20 oral submucous fibrosis patients were evaluated pre operatively for general anaesthesia . Direct nasotracheal intubation , fiberoptic laryngoscopy guided intubation or awake blind nasal intubation technique , or combination of above techniques were used .Mean pre operative inter incisal mouth opening for direct nasotracheal intubation (nine patients ) is 15 .44 mm , fiberoptic guided laryngoscopy (six patients ) is 9 .0 mm and blind nasal intubation (five patients ) is 5 .2 mm .Benefits of avoiding a surgical exploration of airway was significant .