[Upper airway management during anesthesia for reconstructive surgery in patients with noma]. / Gestion des voies aériennes supérieures pour l'anesthésie du noma.

ABSTRACT

Noma causes tissue degeneration of the face resulting in impaired mouth opening with secondary malnutrition and metabolic disorders. Reconstructive plastic surgery for noma can be lifesaving but requires special airway and ventilation techniques because of limited mouth opening. In addition, the African context imposes logistic and budgetary constraints. The purpose of this article is to describe an upper airway management strategy that takes into account disease factors and available resources.