Objective      To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of flexible laryngeal mask airway in pediatric tonsillectomy.  Methods     Thirty children of American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Ⅰ～Ⅱ stage

aged 2～10 years old

weighing 10～50 kg

and sche

duled for selective tonsillectomy surgery in our department were subjected in this study. They were equally randomized into 2 groups (n=15)

flexible laryngeal mask airway group and tracheal intubation group.  Anesthesia induction  was carried out with 0.1 mg/kg midazolam

3 mg/kg propofol

and 0.5 μg/kg sufentanil for the flexible laryngeal mask airway group

and 0.15 mg/kg cis-atracurium was added for the tracheal intubation group. Continuous infusion of 6～10 mg/(kg·h)  remifentanil and 0.2～0.5 μg/(kg·min) propofol was used for anesthesia maintenance in the both groups. The values of heart rate (HR) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) in the 2 groups were recorded before-  anesthesia induction  (T

0

)

after-  anesthesia induction  (T

1

)

inserting the laryngeal mask airway or endotracheal intubation (T2)

placing speculum oris and beginning of the operation (T3)

end of the operation (T

4

)

and immediately extubation (T

5

). Plasma concentrations of glucose and cortisol were detected at T

0

T

2

T

3

and T

5

. The dosage of anesthetic

liquid intake and output

anesthesia time

spontaneous breathing recovery time

extubation time and consciousness time were recorded. In addition

the success rates of first insertion and total insertion

and occurrences of complications (such as emergence agitation

bloating

bucking

and laryngeal spasm) during the recovery of anesthesia were investigated.   Results     Compared with the tracheal intubation group

the spontaneous breathing recovery time

extubation time

and consciousness time were obviously shorter  in flexible laryngeal mask airway group (P0.05). At T

2

the HR and MAP were significantly higher than T1 in the tracheal intubation group (P0.05)

but these differences were not observed in the flexible laryngeal mask airway group

and the HR and MAP at T2 and T5 were remarkably higher in the tracheal intubation group than the flexible laryngeal mask airway group (P0.05). The inci

dence of bucking was obviously lower in flexible laryngeal mask airway group (P0.05). Conclusion       The application of flexible laryngeal mask airway has less stress reaction

low incidences of complications and perfect safety and effectiveness in pediatric tonsillectomy. It is worthy of promotion in clinical use.