Bronchial blockers are inflatable devices that can be used to selectively isolate one lung during surgery by occluding a bronchial opening. They are indicated when a double lumen endotracheal tube cannot be used due to difficult airway, cervical spine injuries, or other anatomical issues. Common types of bronchial blockers include the Univent tube, Cohen bronchial blocker, Fogarty embolectomy catheter, and Arndt endobronchial blocker, each with their own advantages and limitations.

1. DR. SIDDHARTHA SHARMA
Moderator : DR. REEMA MEENA

2. INTRODUCTION
 Bronchial blockers are inflatable devices that are
placed along side or through a single lumen tracheal
tube to selectively occlude a bronchial orifice.
 Separation of two lungs is essential for a variety of
thoracic surgical procedures and can be life-saving in
certain clinical situations.

3.  A variety of methods have been described and used to
isolate one lung.
 These methods includs
Double-lumen ETT (DLT)
Bronchial blockers.
Single lumen bronchial tube

4. Indications For Separation Of Two Lungs and/or
OLV
 ABSOLUTE
1. To avoid contamination of a non-diseased lung
 A. Infection (e.g. unilateral pulmonary abscess)
 B. Massive pulmonary hemorrhage
 C. Unilateral pulmonary lavage (e.g. for pulmonary
alveolar proteinosis)

5.  2.Control of distribution of ventilation
A. Bronchopleural fistula
B. Bronchopleural cutaneous fistula
C. Surgical opening of a major conducting airway
D. Giant unilateral lung cyst or bulla
E. Tracheobronchial tree disruption
F. Life-threatening hypoxemia due to unilateral
lung disease
 3. Video assisted thoracoscopy (VATS)

6. Relative indications
 Thoracic aortic aneurysm repair
 Pneumonectomy
 Pulmonary resection via median sternotomy
 Upper lobectomy
 Lung transplantation
 Unilateral lung disease causing severe hypoxemia

7. Indication for bronchial blockers
Bronchial blockers are indicated where DLT insertion is not
possible or advisable as in patients with
 Difficult airway
 Lesions with in the trachea
 Severely distorted tracheobronchial anatomy
 Cervical spine injuries
 Who cannot tolerate period of apnoea
 on anticoagulants
 Endotracheal tube insitu
 When only a lobe is needed to be blocked rather than entire lung
 When sequential blockage of both lungs is needed
 Patients requiring Mechanical ventilation postoperatively
 To apply CPAP

8. LIMITATIONS
Slow collapse of the desired lung.
Small lumen of bronchial blockers can be connected to
suction to facilitate more rapid deflation of the lung.
Small lumen of bronchial blockers allow suctioning of
air but secretions, blood, and pus cannot be
eliminated through them and cause obstruction of the
lumen preventing the application of CPAP.
This is remedied by injecting saline or by placing suction
and/or an appropriate sized wire down the lumen.

9. LIMITATIONS..
 Bronchial blockers are more easily dislodged during
patient positioning and surgical manipulation of the
lung.
 Elliptical-shaped balloons, versus spherical, help to
prevent dislodgment.
 Whenever, patient position is changed, correct
bronchial blocker placement needs to be confirmed
with bronchoscopy.
 Bronchial blockers present the potential risk of
perforating a bronchus or lung parenchyma causing a
pneumothorax.

10. Types of bronchial blockers
Univent bronchial blocker system
Arndt endobronchial blocker
Cohen Flexitip Endobronchial Blocker
Fogarty embolectomy catheters
Foley catheters,
 Balloon-tipped pulmonary artery catheters,

11. Univent Tube
 Developed in 1982 by Dr. Inoue
 It is a single-lumen silicone tube with a small
separate lumen along the anterior concave wall.
 This separate lumen contains the small hollow
nonlatex bronchial blocker that can extend about
8-10 cm beyond the tip and it has a blue colored
high pressure and low volume cuff.
 The lumen of the bronchial blocker is 2 mm in
internal diameter. The Univent is supplied in sizes
6.0-9.0 mm internal diameter

12. Univent Tube…
 After inserting the univent tube the blocker is visualized by using a flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope through
an airway adapter having a port for bronchoscope.
 The blocker is placed in the desired bronchus under vision.
 When the bronchus needs to be blocked the lung is deflated with the blocker open to atmosphere.
 Cuff should be inflated with minimum amount of ait that would provide seal. This can be achived by
attaching by sample line from Co2 analysizer to the proximal end of the blocker and noting when the
waveform disappears
 Typical cuff inflation volume is 5-6cc.
 Univent blocker can also be used with normal tracheal tubes and placed coaxially or in parallel.

13. Univent Tube…
 Univent Tube

14. Univent Tube…
Advantage
 Difficult airways requiring OLV
 • Selective lobar blockade
 • Tracheostomized patients requiring OLV
 • Rapid sequence induction that requires OLV
 • Robotic (cardiac, thoracic, or esophageal surgery)

15. Univent Tube…
Disadvantage
 #8.5–9.0 tied fit to pass through vocal cords
 • Enclosed channel of 2.0 mm (not enough lumen
to aspirate secretions)
 • More expensive ($137.00)
 • Potential for inclusion in the stapling line

16. The Cohen Bronchial Blocker
• It has 9F external diameter, 1.4mm inner lumen
and length of 65cm with angle tip
• High volume low pressure blue spherical balloon at
the tip
• Murphy eyes in the distal tip
• A proximal control wheel to adjust the tip
deflection . An arrow on the wheel indicates the
direction to which the tip deflects

17. The Cohen Bronchial Blocker

18. Fogarty Embolectomy Catheter
 Single-lumen balloon tipped catheter with a removable
stylet
 In the parallel fashion, the Fogarty catheter is inserted
prior to intubation
 In the co-axial fashion, the Fogarty catheter is placed
through the endotracheal tube
 Both techniques require fiberoptic bronchoscopy to direct
the Fogarty catheter into the correct pulmonary segment
 Once the catheter is in place, the balloon is
inflated, sealing the airway

19. Clinical limitations of the
Fogarty catheter
 No accessory lumen
So Suction , Oxygen insuffulation or applying
CPAP to the blocked lung is not possible not
possible
 Latex allergy
 Low volume high pressure cuff

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21. Arndt Endobronchial Blocker set
 Invented by Dr. Arndt, an anesthesiologist
 Is available as a 7 or 9 French, wire-guided, yellow
catheter, 65 and 78cm lengths, with centimeter markings
from 10-60.
 Ideal for diff intubation, pre-existing ETT and when postop
ventilation needed or in pediatric patients
 It consists of
blocking catheter
airway adaptor

22. Arndt Endobronchial Blocker set..
 Blocking catheter: it has a blue colored high-
volume, low-pressure balloon, which is elliptical or
spherical in shape.
 A flexible nylon wire passes through the proximal end
of catheter and extends to the distal end then exits as a
small loop
 Air way adapter: have 4 ports
 1 15 mm port that attaches to the ETT
 2 ventilation port that connects to the breathing
circuit
 3 port for a flexible fiberoptic scope
 4 port angled approximately 30º for the blocker

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24. Arndt Endobronchial Blocker set..
 The fiberoptic scope (a pediatric scope is most easily used) and
the blocker are placed through their specific ports in the adapter.
 Use an adequate amount of lubricant on the scope and the
blocker.
 The scope is threaded through the wire loop at the end of the
blocker and the wire loop should remain loose.
 The entire unit is placed on the ETT and the circuit connected to
the ventilation port, allowing continuous ventilation during
placement.
 The fiberoptic scope is “driven” into the left mainstem bronchus
and the blocker is gently passed down over the scope until
resistance is encountered.
 The scope is then gently withdrawn until the carina and the
blocker are in view.

25. Single lumen bronchial tube
 Rarely used now
 Gordon Green tube is a right sided Single lumen bronchial
tube that can be used for left thoracotomies
 It has both tracheal and bronchial cuffs
 Used in pediatric patients or patients with massive
hemoptysis
 Elastic bougie can be inserted into the chosen bronchus by
using a bronchoscope and bronchial tube can be railroaded
over the bougie
 Neither suctioning nor application of CPAP to the
nonventilated lung is possible