When patients undergo surgery with general anesthesia, they require ventilation of their lungs with the help of a flexible tube (called an endotracheal tube) that is placed through the mouth, passing the vocal cords, and into the windpipe (trachea). This tube helps oxygenate the patient, delivers anesthetic gas to the lungs, and keeps the airways open to prevent asphyxiation. The procedure is invasive and uncomfortable, and one of the most common consequences is a sore and inflamed throat after the tube is taken out. This is termed postoperative sore throat (POST). Though the intensity and severity of sore throat varies from person to person, the reported incidence is as high as 90% of patients undergoing general anesthesia.