Page "Tracheotomy" Paragraph 0

Among the oldest described surgical procedures, tracheotomy ( also referred to as tracheostomy ) consists of making an incision on the anterior aspect of the neck and opening a direct airway through an incision in the trachea.

The resulting stoma can serve independently as an airway or as a site for a tracheostomy tube to be inserted ; this tube allows a person to breathe without the use of his or her nose or mouth.

Both surgical and percutaneous techniques are widely used in current surgical practice.