OR / Prep · Otolaryngology, Head & Neck · open
You’re scrubbing into
Surgical tracheostomy
Why are we operating?
A controlled front door into the trachea below an obstruction the mouth cannot bypass, or for the ventilated patient whose tube has outstayed the larynx's welcome.
Indication: Upper airway obstruction, prolonged ventilation, airway protection; elective and controlled wherever possible.
The operation in 4 steps
01Position and landmarks
02Dissection and the thyroid isthmus
03The tracheal window
04Tube insertion and confirmation
Watch it done
Surgical tracheostomy procedure
The open tracheostomy in under three minutes: strap muscles, isthmus, the window and the tube.
Source: Medscape · Watch on YouTube
Conceptual teaching for learners preparing to observe and assist under supervision, not operative instructions. Five minutes from now you should know why this operation exists, what its shape is, and which structures it is designed not to injure.