Tracheostomy

Patent Pending Tracheotomy (US /ˌtreɪkiˈɒtəmi/ tray-kee-aw-tə-mee) is a surgical procedure which consists of making an incision on the anterior aspect of the neck and opening a direct airway through an incision in the trachea (windpipe). The resulting stoma (hole), or tracheostomy, can serve independently as an airway or as a site for a tracheostomy tube to be inserted; this tube allows a person to breathe without the use of his or her nose or mouth.