A mask sits over your nose and mouth to give anesthesia and help you breathe, while a breathing tube goes into your throat or windpipe to keep the airway open. With general anesthesia, the anesthesiologist may use a mask placed over the nose and mouth, or a tube may be placed in the throat to help you breathe. A tube in the windpipe, called tracheal intubation, is used to keep oxygen flowing when the throat and chest muscles relax during anesthesia.

A mask is less invasive because it stays outside the body. A tube is more secure because it directly holds the airway open. Some patients may also have a laryngeal mask airway, or LMA, which sits above the voice box and is used in selected, fasted patients. It can reduce stomach inflation, but it protects the airway less than a tube in the windpipe.

Your anesthesiologist chooses the safest option for you based on your airway, the surgery, and your overall health.