i-gel® from Intersurgical: clinical evidence listing

A comprehensive list of all known published clinical evidence on the device

Supreme! Or is it?

Kushakovsky V, Ahmad I. Anaesthesia 2009; 64(11): 1262

This letter is a response to a small LMA Supreme® study. The authors say that they have been using the device in patients having nasopharyngeal surgery as it protects the airway from any bleeding and has a gastric channel to remove any blood in the stomach. However, they have reviewed recent research and believe that their current practice may change. In previous studies, the i-gel® has performed as well as the LMA Supreme® even when all i-gel® patients have been given a size 4 device and the LMA Supreme® has been sized correctly. Gastric tube placement in the two devices and the LMA Proseal® is also comparable. The authors are considering the use of the i-gel® or ProSealTM instead of the SupremeTM.

Link to abstract.

Evaluation of the new supraglottic airway devices Ambu® Aura OnceTM and Intersurgical i-gel®. Positioning, sealing, patient comfort and airway morbidity

Heuer JF, Stiller M, Rathgeber J, Eich C, Züchner K, Bauer M, Timmermann A. Anaesthesist 2009; 58(8): 813-820

In this study, the i-gel® was compared to the cLMA, ProSeal and Ambu Aura OnceTM supraglottic airways. 40 patients were assigned to each of the four groups for insertion of one of the airways during surgery. Ease of insertion and insertion time were comparable for all devices. The ProSeal and Aura OnceTM airways had significantly better placement and seal pressures. Airway morbidity did not occur in any of the groups. The cLMA was significantly more likely to cause postoperative sore throat.

Link to abstract

 

The Supraglottic Airway i-gel® in Comparison with Proseal Laryngeal Mask Airway and Classic Laryngeal Mask Airway in Anaesthetized Patients

Shin W, Cheong Y, Yang H, Nishiyama T. European Journal Of Anaesthesiology 2009; 26: 000-000

167 patients were randomly assigned to device groups. Haemodynamic data, airway leak pressure, leak volume, success rates and postoperative complications were assessed.

Link to abstract.

 

 

Oesophageal seal of the novel supralaryngeal airway device i-gel® in comparison with the laryngeal mask airways Classic and ProSealTM using a cadaver model

Schmidbauer W, Bercker S, Volk T, Bogusch G, Mager G, Kerner T. Br J Anaesth 2009; 102(1): 135-139

The three supraglottic devices were inserted into eight unfixed cadaver models with exposed oesophagi, connected to a water column producing both a slow and fast oesophageal pressure increase. During a fast increase of oesophageal pressure (simulated vomiting procedure) with the oesophageal lumen of the i-gel® and pLMA open, the authors reported that ‘the entire oesophageal liquid was drained to the outside without any tracheal aspiration occurring.’

Link to abstract.