Tracheostomy
Tracheostomy is the medical term for a surgical procedure that creates an opening in the trachea (windpipe) and inserts a tube to keep it open.
Purpose:
- To provide an airway when the natural airway is blocked or compromised
- To allow for mechanical ventilation (breathing machine)
- To remove secretions (mucus) from the lungs
trach tube
(trake...)
A 2-inch- to 3-inch-long curved metal or plastic tube placed in a surgically created opening (tracheostomy) in the windpipe to keep it open. Also called tracheostomy tube.