Does the periportal end of a double-lumen endobronchial tube need to be fixed to prevent dislocation of the cuffed end caused by a change in position? A randomized controlled trial.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects on the dislocation and misalignment of the cuffed end of a double-lumen endobronchial tube (DLT) when a patient moves from a horizontal to a lateral position without fixation.

Methods: A total of 148 patients who had undergone video-assisted thoracoscope surgery were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups: a group in which the periportal end of the DLT was fixed with tape (group I;  = 74) and a group in which the periportal end of the DLT remained unfixed (group II;  = 74). Both groups were given an intravenous induction for double-lumen endobronchial intubation and then moved from a horizontal position to a lateral position, after which the alignment of the bronchial cuffed end of the DLT was assessed using a fiberoptic bronchoscope.

Results: After lateral position, the dislocation rate of group I and group II was 44.6% and 20.2%, and the misalignment rate was 27.0% and 8.1%, respectively, the incidence of dislocation and misalignment was significantly lower in group II than in group I after the change to a lateral position ( < 0.05). After lateral position, the total rate of airway injury was 25.7% in group I and 5.4% in group II, the incidence of airway injury was significantly lower in group II than in group I ( < 0.05), as was the incidence of sore throat, hoarseness, and cough on postoperative day 1 ( < 0.05). The average outward dislocation of the periportal end of the DLT in group II was 1.5 cm.

Conclusion: A DLT without periportal fixation is less likely to be displaced and poorly aligned when the patient moves from a horizontal to a lateral position, which could facilitate intra-operative management and reduce the incidence of postoperative complications.