Anaesthesia both for adenotomy (AT) and for tonsillectomy (TE) frequently presents a challenge. On one hand, children scheduled for adenotomy often have upper airway infections and are thus at risk of laryngo- and bronchospasm; on the other hand the ENT surgeon and the anaesthetist have to share the "workspace" in the patient's mouth. Since the succinyl choline debate in the early 1990s, the question of the best muscle relaxant has gone hand in hand with that of the most appropriate means of securing the airway. The concept of the laryngeal mask as airway was initially greeted with scepticism. Following several years' use of the mask for this purpose in AT and TE in young children, we report our experience and summarise the literature on this topic. The laryngeal mask represents a safe alternative to intubation, provided there is close cooperation with the ENT surgeon.