Video-guided Versus Conventional Right-sided Double-Lumen Tubes for One-Lung Ventilation in Thoracoscopic Surgery

This multicentre randomised controlled trial compares a video-guided right-sided double-lumen tube with a conventional right-sided double-lumen tube in adults undergoing elective thoracoscopic surgery requiring one-lung ventilation. The video-guided tube incorporates an integrated camera that provides continuous airway visualisation during initial placement and intraoperative monitoring.

Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive one of the two tubes. Final tube position after initial placement will be confirmed by fibreoptic bronchoscopy in both groups. During one-lung ventilation, additional fibreoptic bronchoscopy will be performed only when clinically indicated or according to predefined rescue criteria.

The primary outcome is successful initial right-sided double-lumen tube placement. Secondary outcomes include right upper-lobe bronchial obstruction, intraoperative tube displacement, hypoxemia during one-lung ventilation, requirement for rescue fibreoptic bronchoscopy, time to satisfactory tube positioning, quality of operative lung collapse, and the number of intraoperative tube repositioning events.

Participants and outcome assessors will remain blinded to treatment allocation, whereas the anaesthesiologist performing intubation cannot be blinded because of the distinct visual and operational characteristics of the two devices. The study aims to determine whether continuous airway visualisation improves the effectiveness and stability of right-sided double-lumen tube management during thoracoscopic surgery.