{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T19:31:35Z","timestamp":1786649495870,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":8,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,1]],"date-time":"2025-10-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1759276800000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,10]]},"abstract":"\n Background:<\/jats:title>\n \n One-lung ventilation (OLV) is crucial in thoracic surgery as it ensures optimal visibility and effective isolation of the lung. Various devices, such as double-lumen tubes and bronchial blockers, help achieve effective OLV. While double-lumen tubes (DLTs) are considered the gold standard for lung isolation certain clinical scenarios may make their use challenging or contraindicated. In these cases, the EZ-Blocker\n \u00ae<\/jats:sup>\n (Teleflex Medical, Morrisville, NC, USA) presents distinct advantages. This paper discusses a series of six cases where DLTs were not feasible, highlighting our experience with the EZ-Blocker\n \u00ae<\/jats:sup>\n as a viable alternative.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Materials and Methods:<\/jats:title>\n \n We analyzed patients aged 18 years and older who underwent various thoracic surgeries in the department of Anaesthesiology at Christian Medical College, Vellore, from January 2024 to September 2024. This study specifically focused on cases involving the intraoperative use of the EZ-Blocker\n \u00ae<\/jats:sup>\n for one-lung ventilation.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results:<\/jats:title>\n \n The EZ-Blocker\n \u00ae<\/jats:sup>\n was used in challenging situations such as difficult airway management, and lung isolation in intubated patients, and in those with tracheostomies. The placement of nearly all EZ bronchial blockers was accomplished without complications, resulting in a success rate of 99%. Adequate lung collapse was achieved in all patients, with no serious airway injuries or immediate complications reported.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion:<\/jats:title>\n \n The EZ-Blocker\n \u00ae<\/jats:sup>\n is an effective and safe airway device designed for one-lung ventilation, particularly in scenarios where DLTs are unsuitable. Its advantages include easy placement, adaptability to abnormal airway anatomy, reduced airway trauma, and enhanced visualization during bronchoscopy. These features make it a superior alternative to traditional double-lumen tubes for managing complex airway scenarios.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.4103\/aca.aca_57_25","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,13]],"date-time":"2025-10-13T16:11:39Z","timestamp":1760371899000},"page":"480-485","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["The EZ- Blocker\u00ae- A Safer Alternative in Complex Airway Scenarios: A Case Series"],"prefix":"10.4103","volume":"28","author":[{"given":"Suda Naveen","family":"Kumar","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiac Anaesthesia, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ilangovan","family":"Panchanathan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiac Anaesthesia, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shruti","family":"Singh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anaesthesiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Roshni R.","family":"Benedicta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anaesthesiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Balaji","family":"Kuppuswamy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiac Anaesthesia, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kirubakaran","family":"Davis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Cardiac Anaesthesia, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sathish Kumar","family":"Dharmalingam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anaesthesiology, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"276","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"R1-20260420","first-page":"17","article-title":"Sequential bilateral lung isolation with a single bronchial blocker","volume":"1","author":"Brodsky","year":"2013","journal-title":"Case Rep"},{"key":"R2-20260420","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.1097\/ACO.0b013e3280111e2a","article-title":"Which device should be considered the best for lung isolation: Double-lumen endotracheal tube versus bronchial blockers","volume":"20","author":"Campos","year":"2007","journal-title":"Curr Opin Anaesthesiol"},{"key":"R4-20260420","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"77","DOI":"10.1186\/s13019-018-0767-9","article-title":"The EZ-blocker for one-lung ventilation in patients undergoing thoracic surgery: clinical applications and experience in 100 cases in a routine clinical setting","volume":"13","author":"Moritz","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Cardiothorac Surg"},{"key":"R5-20260420","first-page":"237","article-title":"Comparison of double-lumen tube and EZ-blocker for one-lung ventilation","volume":"29","author":"Russell","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth"},{"key":"R6-20260420","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"375","DOI":"10.1007\/s00540-011-1315-0","article-title":"Clinical experience with a new endobrochial blocker: the EZ-blocker","volume":"26","author":"V\u00e9gh","year":"2012","journal-title":"J Anesth"},{"key":"R7-20260420","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"550","DOI":"10.1097\/ALN.0b013e3182834f2d","article-title":"Efficiency, efficacy, and safety of EZ-blocker compared with left-sided double-lumen tube for one-lung ventilation","volume":"118","author":"Mourisse","year":"2013","journal-title":"Anesthesiology"},{"key":"R8-20260420","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2319","DOI":"10.1053\/j.jvca.2020.11.056","article-title":"A Randomized Comparison of Positional Stability: The EZ-Blocker Versus Left-Sided Double-Lumen Endobronchial Tubes in Adult Patients Undergoing Thoracic Surgery","volume":"35","author":"Morris","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth"},{"key":"R9-20260420","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"701","DOI":"10.21037\/atm.2019.09.74","article-title":"Successful use of an EZ-blocker for lung isolation and management in a hemoptysis patient","volume":"7","author":"Son","year":"2019","journal-title":"Ann Transl Med"}],"container-title":["Annals of Cardiac Anaesthesia"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.4103\/aca.aca_57_25","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T18:54:48Z","timestamp":1786647288000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.4103\/aca.aca_57_25"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,10]]},"references-count":8,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4103\/aca.aca_57_25","relation":{},"ISSN":["0971-9784","0974-5181"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0971-9784","type":"print"},{"value":"0974-5181","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,10]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2025-03-13","name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2025-04-17","name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}]}}