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Review
. 2025 Apr 30;14(4):1042-1060.
doi: 10.21037/tlcr-2025-273. Epub 2025 Apr 16.

Multidisciplinary international expert consensus on perioperative airway management

Hengrui Liang  1 Guowei Che  2 Fei Cui  1 Junguo Dong  1 Weiquan Gu  3 Chundong Gu  4 Shun Xu  5 Yufeng Ba  6 Kaican Cai  7 Qingdong Cao  8 Chang Chen  9 Chun Chen  10 Qixun Chen  11 Liyang Cheng  12 Gang Feng  13 Yunjiu Gou  14 Wenwei Guo  1 Jinxi He  15 Junming He  16 Jian Hu  17 Ying Huang  1 Wenxi Wang  1 Wenjie Jiao  18 Shunjun Jiang  1 Jun Liu  1 Lan Lan  19 Wei Li  20 Xiaofei Li  21 Zhongcheng Li  22 Yin Li  23 Zhu Liang  24 Hongxu Liu  25 Yingbin Liu  26   27 Xinyu Mei  28 Xicheng Song  29 Daqiang Sun  30 Hui Tian  31 Ziqiang Tian  32 Jianhua Wang  33 Guangsuo Wang  34 Xin Xu  1 Xudong Xiang  35 Guobing Xu  10 Tao Xue  36 Chao Yang  1 Xiaolong Yan  37 Nuo Yang  38 Feng Yao  39 Dalong Yin  40 Xiaochuan Yin  41 Bentong Yu  42 Wei Zhai  43 Yu Zhang  44   45 Guangjian Zhang  46 Xiaowen Zhang  47 Qiang Zhang  48 Yi Zhang  49 Jun Zhao  50 Haihui Zhong  51 Alessandro Brunelli  52 Till Ploenes  53   54 Luca Bertolaccini  55 John Kit Chung Tam  56   57 Min P Kim  58 Majed Refai  59 Michel Gonzalez  60 Adam R Dyas  61 Nicoletta Pia Ardò  62 Hiran C Fernando  63 Giulio Maurizi  64 Gregor J Kocher  65 Giuseppe Marulli  66   67 Álvaro Fuentes-Martín  68 Gianluca Perroni  69 Kyung Soo Kim  70 Maria Rodriguez  71 Marcus Taylor  72 Xusen Zou  1 Wei Wang  1 Jianxing He  1
Affiliations
Review

Multidisciplinary international expert consensus on perioperative airway management

Hengrui Liang et al. Transl Lung Cancer Res. .

Abstract

Background: Perioperative airway management is critical for patient safety and optimal surgical outcomes. Effective airway management reduces postoperative pulmonary complications and accelerates recovery. This expert consensus aims to update the earlier consensus based on the latest research and emphasize aspects that were previously overlooked.

Methods: A comprehensive search up to June 2024 was performed. Earlier consensus documents were reviewed to ensure thorough coverage. A modified Delphi method involved 62 domestic experts from various surgical and anesthetic specialties who discussed and voted on preliminary recommendations in face-to-face meetings, requiring ≥70% agreement. Drafts were then reviewed by 18 international experts via email to incorporate diverse insights.

Results: Through the modified Delphi method, consensus was achieved with ≥70% agreement among the 62 domestic experts, ensuring that the preliminary recommendations were robust and widely supported. Additionally, feedback from the 18 international experts provided diverse insights that further refined and validated the recommendations. Recommendations were established for preoperative airway preparation, anesthesia management, surgical approach, postoperative airway management, and managing coexisting respiratory diseases. These recommendations update the perspectives of earlier consensus documents based on the latest research and emphasize non-intubated surgery, inhalation therapy, and individualized treatment for patients with coexisting pulmonary diseases.

Conclusions: This expert consensus provides a valuable reference for clinical practice. Further technological optimization and clinical research are needed to improve perioperative airway management.

Keywords: Perioperative airway management; anesthesia; coexisting pulmonary disease; inhalation therapy; non-intubated surgery.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://tlcr.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/tlcr-2025-273/coif). Maria Rodriguez reports consulting fees and payment for lectures/activities from AstraZeneca, Abex/Intuitive and Johnson and Johnson. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

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