Tracheostomy

Overview

A tracheostomy is a surgically created opening (stoma) through the front of your neck into the windpipe (trachea). The stoma creates a passageway into your windpipe, and you breathe through a tracheostomy tube placed in the stoma. It is used:

• In an emergency if your air passage is blocked
• For the use of a ventilator machine to assist in breathing
• To bypass an obstruction in the voice box (larynx) or windpipe until the obstruction, usually a scar or tumor, can be surgically removed

Why choose Mayo Clinic for tracheostomy

• Experience. Mayo Clinic specialists are experienced in performing tracheostomies in children and adults and in determining if the opening can be closed.
• Patient education. Doctors and nurses teach parents and other caregivers about tracheostomy tube management to help them provide the best possible quality of life when the person returns home.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is ranked among the Best Hospitals for ear, nose and throat by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz., is ranked high performing for ear, nose and throat by U.S. News & World Report.

Why Choose Mayo Clinic
What Sets Mayo Clinic Apart

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