Use of the laryngeal mask airway in rabbits: placement and efficacy.

The laryngeal mask airway (LMA) has been used in various animal species anesthetized for the purpose of device evaluation, but the device has not been evaluated in rabbits during surgery. The authors tested the feasibility and potential advantages of using the LMA in 50 rabbits undergoing surgery under spontaneous-breathing inhalational anesthesia, focusing mainly on the technique of insertion and its efficacy. The LMA was easily inserted and no air leakage at the larynx was detected. Although four rabbits developed lingual cyanosis, this was reversible and most likely due to lingual vascular compression by the LMA. The authors conclude that the LMA is an attractive alternative to endotracheal intubation, as the mask can be inserted easily and rapidly and its correct placement is easily confirmed.