Removal of broken airway exchanger in a patient post thyroid surgery

An “Airway Exchange Catheter” (AEC) is employed for exchanging a tracheal tube in patients with difficult airway. We report a case of a planned extubation on a patient, who had to be re-intubated following total thyroidectomy due to stridor. An AEC was used which accidentally broke during trial of extubation, wherein the broken portion was below the level of the cords. Removal was done under rigid bronchoscopy and patient had no untoward consequences. This can happen in an AEC that has been kept unused for a prolonged period under inadequate storage conditions and also due to its long length and lesser tensile strength.