tracheotomy /trā′kē·ot″əmē/ [Gk, tracheia + temnein, to cut] , an incision made into the trachea through the neck below the larynx, performed to gain access to the airway below a blockage with a foreign body, tumor, or edema of the glottis. The opening may be made as an emergency measure at an accident site, at a hospitalized patient’s bedside, or in the operating room. The patient’s neck is hyperextended, and an incision is made through the skin and through the second, third, or fourth tracheal ring. A small hole is made in the fibrous tissue of the trachea, and the opening is then dilated to allow air intake. In an emergency any available instrument may be used as a dilator, even the barrel of a ballpoint pen with the inner part removed. If the blockage persists, a tracheostomy tube is inserted; if not, the incision is closed after normal respirations are established. After surgery the patient is observed for recurrent respiratory difficulty or cyanosis. Compare tracheostomy.
