Once I further understood the anatomy of the trachea and why intubation is required for procedures done under general anesthesia, I began researching the procedure I saw performed in the O.R. I saw an esophageal dilation, which is a procedure that allows your doctor to dilate, or stretch, a narrowed area of your esophagus. In a previous procedure many years ago, the surgeon performed an esophagectomy on this patient since the acid from the corrosive fluid she drank damaged her esophagus to point where it needed to be removed. According to Boston Medical Center, "In esophagectomy, most of your esophagus and nearby lymph nodes are removed. Your stomach is then moved up and attached to the remaining portion of your esophagus." Once this procedure was done, repeat esophageal dilations were performed to help the stricture, or narrowed esophagus, not be so narrow since this narrowing affects how and what the patient can eat. In this specific dilation, bougie dilators were used, and The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy states, "Bougie dilators come in a variety of designs, calibers, and lengths. They are used primarily in the treatment of esophageal strictures and can be purchased individually or in sets of varying calibers." The surgeon did not have a difficult time using the bougie dilators, so a balloon dilator was not needed in this case. Since the procedure went very smoothly and without complications, the surgeon decided that the patient did not need to come back for another esophageal dilation unless she was experiencing issues. Overall, this experience in the O.R. was definitely an unforgettable one.
Sources:
-http://www.healthline.com/health/endotracheal-intubation#Overview1
-http://www.asge.org/assets/0/71312/71314/ef01be27-9859-4e54-8400-5748f73427ce.pdf
-http://www.asge.org/patients/patients.aspx?id=392'
-https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=laryngoscope&submit.x=80&submit.y=25