Permanent tracheostomy: its social impacts and their management in Ondo State, Southwest, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND Upper respiratory tract obstruction resulting from bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve damage is commonly managed with permanent tracheostomy in our environment. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the social impacts of permanent tracheostomy and its management in Ondo State, Southwest Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS Four patients were managed with permanent tracheostomy due to bilateral laryngeal nerve paralysis following thyroidectomy. The observed complications are grouped as surgical/medical and social complications. RESULTS Surgical/medical complications include excessive mucus production, 29 (43.2%), stoma infection 18 (26.8%), stoma polyp and soft tissue blockage of tube fenestrations were 10 (15%) each. The observed impacts on patients' social life include: Negative attitude of family members, difficulty with professional use of voice, problems of social integration and scarcity of tracheostomy tube with speaking valves. CONCLUSION Management of social impacts of permanent tracheostomy is more difficult than other complications and family members must be involved in it.