ABSTRACT
History The anesthetic record of any preliminary direct or indirect endoscopy will give valuable information about the ease or difficulty of airway management. Previous resection may distort and scar normal anatomy, and previous irradiation of the head and neck can cause fibrosis. All of these factors will render tissues inflexible and difficult to displace during direct laryngoscopy. The presence of a tracheostomy will naturally simplify airway management but it is advisable to ascertain whether the tracheostomy tube may be attached directly to the anesthetic circuit, if not it will require replacement.
