Tracheotomy

Tracheotomy
Completed tracheotomy: 1 – Vocal folds 2 – Thyroid cartilage 3 – Cricoid cartilage 4 – Tracheal rings 5 – Balloon cuff
ICD-10-PCS	0B110F4
ICD-9-CM	31.1
MeSH	D014140
MedlinePlus	002955
[edit on Wikidata]

Tracheotomy (/ˌtreɪkiˈɒtəmi/, UK also /ˌtræki-/), or tracheostomy, is a surgical airway management procedure which consists of making an incision on the front of the neck to open a direct airway to the trachea. The resulting stoma (hole) can serve independently as an airway or as a site for a tracheal tube (or tracheostomy tube) to be inserted;^[1] this tube allows a person to breathe without the use of the nose or mouth.