The Critical Importance of Airway Assessment in Preclinical Surgery
As we begin a new year of studies, projects, and procedural innovation, it’s worth reflecting on how often the success of an entire surgical day is determined within the first few minutes of anesthesia. Across species and study types, airway compromise remains one of the most common—and preventable—sources of intraoperative morbidity in preclinical research.
As study complexity increases and physiologic margins narrow, airway management has become one of the most consequential determinants of anesthetic stability, data integrity, and animal welfare. Yet airway assessment is still too often treated as a reactive task rather than a structured, proactive process.
Whether you are preparing for rodent survival surgery or a complex porcine model, the principles remain the same: a deliberate airway assessment reduces anesthetic variability, improves outcomes, and protects continuity of study data.
The airway is the foundation of anesthetic safety. When we actively evaluate risk factors before we reach for the laryngoscope, we shift from reactive troubleshooting to confident, controlled execution.
Three Pillars of Airway Excellence
This month’s VITALS Academy focus highlights three high-impact elements that directly support surgical success:
Collaboration Clear communication between anesthetist, surgeon, and support staff before induction ensures shared expectations, role clarity, and rapid response if difficulty arises.
Consistency Species-specific airway workflows reduce variability, shorten intubation time, and improve first-pass success—especially across rotating teams.
Competence Structured training in airway assessment, positioning, and decision-making elevates performance beyond technical skill alone.
My goal with this newsletter—and with everything NiKara Preclinical produces—is to equip teams with actionable frameworks that reduce complication rates and increase intraoperative confidence.
Why Structured Airway Assessment Matters
A structured airway evaluation reduces hypoxia, gas instability, and peri-anesthetic complications through several well-supported mechanisms:
Predictive identification of difficult airways
Improved positioning and visualization
Reduced anesthetic depth fluctuations caused by prolonged intubation attempts
Earlier escalation to alternative airway strategies
This month’s feature article explores these mechanisms in depth, with species-specific examples and practical decision aids.
Pre-Oxygenation: Small Steps, Large Impact
Even brief pre-oxygenation meaningfully extends safe apnea time and reduces rapid desaturation during induction—particularly in large or higher-risk models. A properly fitted anesthesia mask is essential; “flow-by” oxygen does not provide adequate denitrogenation.
Taking three to five minutes at the start of anesthesia pays dividends throughout the procedure: smoother inductions, fewer hypoxic events, and more stable anesthetic planes.
A pre-oxygenation quick-reference guide is included in this month’s VITALS Academy mini-lessons.
Species-Specific Airway Risk Awareness
Anticipating airway challenges begins with understanding anatomy. Features such as restricted oral apertures, reactive larynxes, redundant soft tissue, and high metabolic oxygen demand significantly influence intubation strategy and success.
This month’s VITALS Academy resources include a species-specific airway assessment guide designed to help teams reduce repeated attempts and minimize hypoxic episodes during induction.
Moving Beyond Mask-Only Anesthesia
Modern preclinical standards emphasize airway security for good reason. Mask-only anesthesia increases animal stress, creates unpredictable anesthetic delivery, limits ventilation support, and exposes personnel to waste anesthetic gases.
With appropriate training and species-specific technique, efficient intubation can be achieved safely and consistently—improving monitoring accuracy, anesthetic control, and staff safety.
January VITALS Academy: Airway Assessment & Management
This newsletter introduces January’s VITALS Academy core module on Airway Assessment and Management, which includes:
A detailed feature article
Two mini-lesson quick-reference guides
A structured core slide curriculum
Hands-on airway and intubation workshops
As your contract proceduralist and trainer, I see every day how early airway decisions shape downstream anesthetic stability, surgical success, and recovery quality. These techniques are not theoretical—they are built from thousands of procedures across diverse models and environments.
If your team would benefit from airway-focused workshops, intubation skills labs, or on-study procedural support, you can reach me directly at niki@nikarapreclinical.com.
Here’s to a safe, skilled, and confident start to the 2026 research year.
— Niki DeValk, AAS, CVT, SRS
www.nikarapreclinical.com
