ABOUT US
NEW METHOD OF
TRACHEOSTOMY DECANNULATION
Patients with tracheostomy tubes who have improved enough to be detached from their ventilators have long been dependent on surgery for removal (decannulation), or on having a smaller tube placed in the opening as an intermediary step. Both these removal methods can mean a longer stay for the patient in a medical facility and higher health care costs.
About Tracheostomy Tubes
A tracheotomy procedure consists of making an incision on the front of the neck (between the tracheal rings) and inserting a tube to get air directly to the lungs, bypassing the upper airways (nose and the mouth). The term tracheostomy refers to the incision into the trachea (windpipe), which forms a temporary or permanent opening for gas exchange, enabling less dead space (the space where there is no gas exchange).
Patients with any of the following conditions may need a tracheostomy tube:
• Severe facial trauma
• Head and neck trauma
• Large congenital tumors of head and neck
• Laryngectomy
• Acute angioedema – swelling of deep layers of skin, including the dermis, subcutaneous tissue, mucosa and submucosal tissues
• Inflammation of the head and neck
• Infection, such as epiglotitis or croup
• Subglottic stenosis
• Subglottic web
• Tracheomalacia
• Vocal cord paralysis
• Laryngeal injury or spasms
• Congenital abnormalities of the airway
• Severe neck or mouth injuries
• Teacher Collins and Pierre Robin Syndrome
• Burns from inhalation of corrosive materials, smoke, and steam
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Foreign body obstruction
• Need for prolonged respiratory support such as Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
• Chronic Pulmonary Disease
• Any condition that will not permit a tube to be inserted via mouth (orotracheal intubation) or nostril (nasotracheal intubation)
Imagine the stress and physical limitations of being dependent on a breathing tube for a long period of time. Patients with breathing problems had to undergo surgery to have a tracheostomy tube inserted, and when Dr. George began to work in the rehabilitation field, surgery was commonly used to remove the tube. One of Dr. George’s goals has always been to help patients breathe on their own as soon as they can, and avoid surgery whenever possible, so he developed a non-invasive protocol for removal of tracheostomy tubes (decannulation).
