Amrita Hospital, Kochi, successfully organized the Amrita Complex Airway Symposium, a first-of-its-kind academic initiative in India dedicated to airway pathologies beyond the glottis. The symposium brought together leading experts from across multiple specialties to discuss innovative approaches to managing complex airway conditions. The program addressed challenging clinical scenarios including near-total central airway obstruction, ECMO-assisted airway management, bronchopleural fistulas, excessive expiratory airway collapse, and Paediatric airway disorders - such as syndromic conditions, congenital heart diseases, and neonatal tracheo-esophageal fistula.
The sessions emphasized safe and strategic approaches to oxygenation, ventilation, and anesthesia, offering participants practical, algorithm-based frameworks applicable in real-world clinical practice. A key highlight of the symposium was the demonstration of advanced imaging and visualization techniques, including miniIP, volume rendering, virtual bronchoscopy, virtual reality, and 3D printing, which provided deeper insights into complex airway anatomy and pathology. The symposium also featured hands-on training and simulation-based learning, including sessions on rigid and flexible bronchoscopy, lung isolation techniques, and airway management devices, enabling participants to gain practical experience under expert guidance.
Case-based discussions and multidisciplinary panel sessions further enriched the learning experience, encouraging collaborative decision-making in critical airway management. The event witnessed participation from a wide range of specialists, including interventional pulmonologists, anesthesiologists, radiologists, ENT surgeons, cardiothoracic surgeons, paediatric cardiologists, and critical care experts, reflecting a comprehensive, team-based approach to airway care. Recognizing its academic value and innovative approach, the symposium was awarded 2 credit hours by the Kerala State Medical Council. The Amrita Complex Airway Symposium marks a significant step forward in advancing knowledge, collaboration, and clinical excellence in the management of complex airway disorders.
