anesthetic care. However, only one of many explanations for this phenomenon may involve the decision-making process of the anesthesiologist. As evidenced by the readers’ comment above, the prospect of this possibility is certainly deemed unacceptable to us as physicians and patient advocates. As discussed in the article, we agree with the cautionary comments made by the readers, stressing that a number of factors not considered in our study may influence the choice of anesthetic technique. Clearly, prospectively designed studies looking at the particular issue of physician bias are warranted to evaluate this subject in a less limited way than we were able to do. However, until such data are available, we believe that it is important to raise awareness among anesthesia providers that nonmedical factors may influence anesthetic management. Furthermore, bpolitical correctnessQ should be the least of our concerns when studying possible disparities in medical care, as only an open, self-critical analysis of our practice can (1) uncover possible problems and (2) lead to interventions to correct them. We conclude that the confrontation of the problem of possible disparities in anesthetic care is yet another way that we as anesthesiologists can prove our commitment to better the care of our patients. Stavros G. Memtsoudis MD, PhD Hospital for Special Surgery New York, NY 10021, USA E-mail address: memtsoudiss@hss.edu doi:10.1016/j.jclinane.2006.10.004 Reference [1] Memtsoudis SG, Besculides MC, Swamidoss CP. Do race, gender, and source of payment impact on anesthetic technique for inguinal hernia repair? J Clin Anesth 2006;18:328 - 33. Successful use of the EasyTube for facial surgery in a patient with glottic and subglottic stenosis To the Editor: The EasyTube (EzT; Teleflex Medical [Ruesch], Kernen, Germany) is a new supraglottic ventilation device. It is a latex-free, double-lumen tube with a pharyngeal proximal balloon and a distal cuff. It is available in two sizes to be used in patients 90 to 130 cm tall (size 28 Ch) or more than 130 cm tall (size 41 Ch). One lumen of the EzT opens at the distal end, and the other lumen serves as a supraglottic ventilation aperture between the two cuffs. The distal end of the EzT is similar to a standard endotracheal tube (ETT) with a tip diameter of 7.5 mm (size 41 Ch) or 5.5 mm (size 28 Ch) and permits ventilation in the tracheal position or gastroesophageal drainage in the esophageal position [1]. We report the case of a 40-year-old, 69-kg, 154-cm man, who suffered from facial and airway burns due to a gas explosion. He received a tracheostomy during his stay at the intensive care unit [2]. Fourteen months after the initial insult, and already at home, he was electively scheduled for revision of facial scars. During preoperative evaluation, a reduced glottic aperture of 6 mm and a 50% subglottic tracheal stenosis were diagnosed. It was apparent that tracheal intubation, even with a small ETT, could potentially worsen tracheal lesions. In addition, neither cricothyrotomy with jet ventilation nor tracheostomy was an option in this case because of the presence of infraglottic lesions. Thus, our approach was to use a suppraglottic airway device. Miller [3] published a classification that separates supra- glottic devices in three groups according to the mechanism of sealing: perilaryngeal (LMA), pharyngeal—with esoph- ageal seal (Combitube, EzT, Laryngeal tube) and without esophageal seal (CobraPLA)— and without balloons (Streamlined Liner of the Pharynx Airway, or SLIPA). We Fig. 1 Views of the EzT (Teleflex Medical [Ruesch]) after placement and fixation. Arrows point to the closed tracheostoma. Letters to the Editor 77