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Tracheotomy

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Anesthesiology and Otolaryngology

Abstract

Tracheostomy is commonly performed electively, urgently, or emergently in order to provide a definitive and secure airway. Patients requiring tracheostomy or those with a preexisting tracheostomy generally have significant comorbidities, specifically of the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems, that place them at increased risk in the perioperative period compared to the general population. In addition, despite having a “definitive airway,” patients with tracheotomies are still at risk of airway loss from device dislodgement or occlusion, compounded by a lack of familiarity with the post-surgical anatomy and/or the devices used for tracheostomy patency. Patients scheduled for tracheostomy placement and those with in situ tracheotomies present to the operating room frequently. Anesthesiologists must be knowledgeable of the tracheostomy procedure and the care of patients with tracheotomies and otolaryngologists must be knowledgeable of the impact of significant comorbidities on anesthetic management to assure optimal patient care and decrease perioperative morbidity and mortality. In this chapter we will review the surgical and anesthetic considerations for patients presenting for tracheostomy placement and those presenting to the operating room who already have atracheostomy. A special section will review in detail tracheostomy appliances and furnish the anesthesia caregiver with a working knowledge of these devises. As noted throughout this text, consistent planning and good communication between the otolaryngologist and anesthesiologist is vital to successful outcomes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, Children’s National Medical Center, 111 Michigan Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20010, USA

    Sharmin Haque

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, Otolaryngology and Structural & Chemical Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10549, USA

    Adam I. Levine

  3. Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1189, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA

    Chan W. Park & Kenneth W. Altman

Authors
  1. Sharmin Haque
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  2. Adam I. Levine
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  3. Chan W. Park
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  4. Kenneth W. Altman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kenneth W. Altman .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Otolaryngology, and, Structural & Chemical Biology, Department of Anesthesiology,, The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, 10029, New York, USA

    Adam I. Levine

  2. Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology -, The Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, 10029, New York, USA

    Satish Govindaraj

  3. Department of Anesthesiology, The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, 10029, New York, USA

    Samuel DeMaria, Jr.

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Haque, S., Levine, A.I., Park, C.W., Altman, K.W. (2013). Tracheotomy. In: Levine, A., Govindaraj, S., DeMaria, Jr., S. (eds) Anesthesiology and Otolaryngology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4184-7_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4184-7_19

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  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-4184-7

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