Effect of reinforced laryngeal mask airway or endotracheal intubation anesthesia on adverse events: quality of life issues for dental patients requiring general sedation.

This study tested whether the use of a reinforced laryngeal mask airway (LMA) compared to endotracheal intubation (El) anesthesia diminished adverse events and improved the post-operative quality of life for 146 dental patients who required general anesthesia due to developmental disabilities. In this randomized, crossover trial, patients received either reinforced LMA or El anesthesia during an initial dental treatment visit; the other anesthetic method was used during a second visit scheduled after six months or more. Data were assessed with Student's t-test, chi-square test and McNemar's test to evaluate the affect on quality of life by analyzing disturbances in daily activity, such as eating patterns and sleeping behaviors after the procedure. Although the reinforced LMA anesthesia was associated with a significantly lowered incidence of adverse events (p = .04), neither method significantly disturbed quality of life activities.