Doctors test 'Prep-and-Wait' method to spare cancer patients from unnecessary breathing tubes

This study looked back at a new safety protocol for patients undergoing robotic throat cancer surgery. The goal was to see if surgeons could prepare the windpipe for an emergency breathing tube during the operation, but only complete the procedure if the patient later had serious breathing problems. Researchers analyzed 81 patients over 10 years to see if this 'prep-and-wait' approach was safe and could help patients avoid the complications of an unnecessary permanent breathing tube.