Tracheostomy

A tracheostomy, also known as a tracheotomy, is a medical procedure that involves creating an opening in the neck in order to place a tube into a person’s trachea, or windpipe. The tube may be temporary or permanent. It’s inserted through a cut in the neck below the vocal cords that allows air to enter the lungs. Breathing is then done through the tube, bypassing the mouth, nose, and throat. The hole in the neck that the tube passes through is commonly known as a stoma. A tracheostomy is most commonly performed in an operating room with general anesthesia, which makes you unaware of the surgical procedure. A local anesthetic to numb the neck and throat is used if the surgeon is worried about the airway being compromised from general anesthesia or if the procedure is being done in a hospital room rather than an operating room.