OBJECTIVE To compare single-stage laryngotracheal reconstruction (ssLTR) and double-stage LTR (dsLTR). DESIGN Retrospective medical record review. SETTING Tertiary care children's hospital. PATIENTS Seventy-one patients underwent 84 procedures (22 ssLTRs and 62 dsLTRs). INTERVENTION Review of preoperative disease severity and surgical outcomes for patients who underwent ssLTR vs dsLTR. ...

Objective: Decannulation of patients with tracheotomy usually requires decrease in tracheostomy tube size, capping for 24-48 hours and observation after tube removal. Delay in decannulation may increase cardiopulmonary load, prolong hospitalization and cause patient distress. We propose a one-stage procedure in an intensive care unit (ICU) setting for patients undergoing head and neck surgeries...

BACKGROUND Although tracheostomy is probably the most common surgical procedure performed on critically ill patients, it is unknown when a tracheostomy tube can be safely removed. METHODS We performed a cross-sectional survey of physicians and respiratory therapists with expertise in the management of tracheostomized patients at 118 medical centers to characterize contemporary opinions about ...

BackgroundThe long-term implications of tracheostomy in cardiac surgical patients are largely unknown. We sought to investigate outcomes including decannulation and mortality a population post-cardiac surgery patients.MethodsAll undergoing at single institution between 1997 2016 were evaluated for postoperative placement, time decannulation, mortality. Patients stratified by as well successful ...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate outcomes of the endoscopic posterior cricoid split with rib graft (EPCS/RG) procedure in the treatment of subglottic stenosis (SGS), posterior glottic stenosis (PGS), and bilateral vocal fold immobility (BVFI). STUDY DESIGN Retrospective chart review. METHODS Chart review of all patients who underwent EPCS/RG at a single tertiary-care facility between 1999 and 2014. Pa...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Open bedside tracheotomy (OBT) in the intensive care unit (ICU) has been advocated as a safe and more cost-effective alternative to tracheotomy performed in the operating room. The objective of this study is to determine predictive factors for postoperative outcomes, including decannulation and in-hospital mortality following OBT. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective chart review....

Insufficient cough strength has a major role in extubation and decannulation outcomes. Cough capacity can be easily evaluated by measuring flows during coughing. Values vary depending on whether cough flows are measured through the mouth or through a tracheostomy or endotracheal tube. It is important to standardize these measurements and start using them routinely in the extubation and decannul...

Tracheostomy tubes are placed for a variety of reasons, including failure to wean from mechanical ventilation, inability to protect the airway due to impaired mental status, inability to manage excessive secretions, and upper-airway obstruction. A tracheostomy tube is required in approximately 10% of patients receiving mechanical ventilation and allows the patient to move to a step-down unit or...

BACKGROUND Percutaneous tracheostomy is a common procedure in the intensive care unit and, on patient transfer to the wards, there is a gap in ongoing tracheostomy management. There is some evidence that tracheostomy teams can shorten weaning to decannulation times. In response to lengthy weaning to decannulation times at Trillium Health Partners - Credit Valley Hospital site (Mississauga, Onta...