Importantly, good insertion technique of laryngeal mask airway (LMA) dramatically increases the likelihood of correct placement (and vice versa).

Having placed the device:

1. Manually ventilate the lungs; the anaesthetic bag should refill rapidly during expiration
2. Observe the chest to ensure bilateral and equal chest movement
3. Auscultate the chest (axillae) to confirm bilateral air entry
4. Ensure that capnography demonstrates a characteristic square-wave trace
5. Once spontaneous ventilation is established, observe for normal respiratory pattern