Lung resection after previous contralateral pneumonectomy is rare. We present a case of right anterior segmentectomy despite previous left pneumonectomy, demanding special airway management strategy. A 48-year-old woman who had left pneumonectomy 2 years ago was scheduled to have the right anterior segmentectomy through uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS). A 32-French (Fr) left-sided double-lumen endobronchial tube (DLT) was chosen and adapted. The DLT was intubated into the bronchus intermedius. And the upper lobe can be isolated from the ventilation in the middle and lower lobes when the bronchial cuff’s inflated. The perioperative period was uneventful and the pathological diagnosis was adenocarcinoma. Lung cancer radical resection was discouraged after previous contralateral pneumonectomy partly due to the challenging ventilation and isolation. With this new DLT adapting and intubation technique showed in this case, the challenging ventilation and isolation that deter the implementation of the operation mentioned above could be solved.

Double-lumen endobronchial tube (DLT) intubation is more challenging than single-lumen tube intubation is, and the rigid video stylet (RVS) is one of the tools that has emerged to deal with this demanding intubation procedure. We evaluated whether the UE^® RVS can shorten the DLT intubation time and improve the first-attempt intubation success rate compared with that of Macintosh laryngoscope (ML). A total of 130 participants scheduled to undergo thoracoscopic pulmonary surgeries were enrolled. They were randomized to receive either ML- or RVS-assisted DLT intubation. The primary outcomes were the intubation time and first-attempt intubation success rate. The secondary outcomes were the overall intubation success rate, mean arterial pressure, postoperative sore throat (POST), and postoperative hoarseness at 1 h and 24 h. Compared with the ML group, the intubation time was significantly shorter in the RVS group (p < 0.001; 30.82 ± 10.61 vs. 39.62 ± 6.54 s), however, the first-attempt success rate was significantly lower (p = 0.048; 83.08% vs. 95.16%). The POST at 1 h was less severe in the RVS group (p = 0.021). No significant differences were found for the other indicators. Among the patients with normal airways, the UE^® RVS can achieve faster DLT intubation and decrease the severity of a POST at 1 h, although it was associated with a lower first-attempt intubation success rate.

Background Lung resection after previous contralateral pneumonectomy is rare. We present a case of right anterior segmentectomy despite previous left pneumonectomy, demanding special ventilation strategy. Case presentation A 48-year-old woman was going to have the right anterior segmentectomy through uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) who had left pneumonectomy two years ago. A 32-French left-sided double-lumen endobronchial tube (DLT) was chosen and adapted. The DLT was intubated into the bronchus intermedius. And the upper lobe can be isolated from the ventilation in the middle and lower lobes when the bronchial cuff’s inflated. The perioperative period was uneventful and the pathological diagnosis was adenocarcinoma. Conclusion Lung cancer radical resection was discouraged after previous contralateral pneumonectomy partly due to the challenging ventilation and isolation. With this new DLT adapting and intubation technique showed in this case, the challenging ventilation and isolation that deter the promotion of the operation could be solved.

Background: Lung resection after previous contralateral pneumonectomy is rare. We present a case of right anterior segmentectomy despite previous left pneumonectomy, demanding special airway management strategy. Case presentation: A 48-year-old woman was going to have the right anterior segmentectomy through uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) who had left pneumonectomy two years ago. A 32-French left-sided double-lumen endobronchial tube (DLT) was chosen and adapted. The DLT was intubated into the bronchus intermedius. And the upper lobe can be isolated from the ventilation in the middle and lower lobes when the bronchial cuff’s inflated. The perioperative period was uneventful and the pathological diagnosis was adenocarcinoma. Conclusion: Lung cancer radical resection was discouraged after previous contralateral pneumonectomy partly due to the challenging ventilation and isolation. With this new DLT adapting and intubation technique showed in this case, the challenging ventilation and isolation that deter the promotion of the operation could be solved.

Background Lung resection after previous contralateral pneumonectomy is rare. We present a case of right anterior segmentectomy despite previous left pneumonectomy, demanding special ventilation strategy. Case presentation A 48-year-old woman was going to have the right anterior segmentectomy through uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) who had left pneumonectomy two years ago. A 32-French left-sided double-lumen endobronchial tube (DLT) was chosen and adapted. The DLT was intubated into the bronchus intermedius. And the upper lobe can be isolated from the ventilation in the middle and lower lobes when the bronchial cuff’s inflated. The perioperative period was uneventful and the pathological diagnosis was adenocarcinoma. Conclusion Lung cancer radical resection was discouraged after previous contralateral pneumonectomy partly due to the challenging ventilation and isolation. With this new DLT adapting and intubation technique showed in this case, the challenging ventilation and isolation that deter the promotion of the operation could be solved.