Publication

A clinical and histologic comparison of percutaneous dilational versus conventional surgical tracheostomy

Journal Paper/Review - Dec 1, 1997

Units
PubMed

Citation
Stöckli S, Breitbach T, Schmid S. A clinical and histologic comparison of percutaneous dilational versus conventional surgical tracheostomy. The Laryngoscope 1997; 107:1643-6.
Type
Journal Paper/Review (English)
Journal
The Laryngoscope 1997; 107
Publication Date
Dec 1, 1997
Issn Print
0023-852X
Pages
1643-6
Brief description/objective

To directly compare percutaneous dilational tracheostomy (PDT) with conventional surgical tracheostomy, a prospective study was performed in 83 patients requiring tracheostomy for prolonged mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit or after surgery for a large tumor in the upper respirodigestive tract. Median follow-up was 355 days after PDT and 338 days after conventional tracheostomy. The overall morbidity rate was significantly lower with PDT than with conventional tracheostomy (6.4% vs 36.1%; P < 0.001). Compared with conventional tracheostomy, PDT was also associated with a significantly lower incidence of postoperative bleeding (2.1% vs 13.9%; P < 0.05) and postoperative wound infection (0% vs 22.2%; P < 0.001). There were no clinical signs of laryngotracheal stenosis in either group. In conclusion, PDT is a simple, fast, safe bedside procedure that is associated with significantly lower morbidity than standard surgical tracheostomy.