in medical terms the suffix “-otomy” means to cut or separate. in a tracheotomy a surgeon cuts a small hole in the front of the trachea (windpipe). tracheotomy is most often performed on people who require weeks of mechanical ventilation (dependence on a breathing machine). tracheotomy is also performed in emergencies for choking; for people with neck cancer; as an extreme treatment for obstructive sleep apnea; and for other less common conditions. after the surgeon cuts through the skin and trachea she inserts a plastic tube into the hole. this tube is called a tracheostomy tube (“-ostomy” means an artificially created passage out of the body). oftentimes the surgery and the tube itself are referred together simply as a tracheostomy.
what is a tracheotomy?