The airway in day surgery.

Securing an adequate airway and ventilation is of outmost importance in day case anesthesia/sedation, as elsewhere in anesthesia. Since its introduction, the LMA has made a major contribution to the development of safe and efficacious airway management in elective day case anesthesia. It has also become increasingly popular in laparoscopy in selected patients. The use of a LMA should always be based on individual patient assessment, and a rescue plan for inadequate airway and or ventilation should be in place. Intubation is still the technique of choice in emergency situations.