2. A Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA). This is a soft rubber mask made to fit inside the back of the throat. There is an opening for oxygen to pass through which sits over the entrance to the windpipe. The LMA allows you to breathe on your own and can be used for surgeries on areas outside the body cavities. The LMA may be associated with less incidence of, or lower severity of sore throat, but sore throats still occur fairly frequently.
(Side Note: Although an LMA sounds better, there are some factors that make it less desirable than an endotracheal tube, such as if you have acid reflux. Since the windpipe isn't blocked off from the esophagus, as it is with a breathing tube, acid could potentially enter the lungs if you have this condition. Likewise, obese patients have a tougher time getting sufficient oxygen under the influence of the anesthesia drugs. So if your anesthesiologist has to use a breathing tube there is usually a medically sound reason why.)
Regardless of the breathing device used, oxygen and the anesthesia gases still dry out the mucosa of the throat contributing to that sore, scratchy feeling.
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