Tracheostomy Care

[Davy9]

Many people who have permanent or long term tracheostomies use trach tubes. Because they are familiar with just their own case few are aware that there are a wide range of trach tube products and designs available. They are not all the same. They have different lengths and come with different features. Certain tubes are better for certain patients. Upper airways vary from person to person. There are short tubes and there are long tubes. There are laryngectomy tubes that are uncuffed and extra short. There are cuffed and uncuffed tubes. There tubes with holes in them called fenestrated tubes that can assist in speech. There are tubes that will conform to the inner structure of the airway using body heat. If you're having troubles of any sort with your tube or trach site there are options and a good ENT can help sort them out. Problems would be aspiration in the presence of an inflated cuff, irritation leading to bleeding (at the stoma or inside the airway), poor vocalization ability, airway leaks with positive pressure ventilation, etc.... There are also things called trach buttons which sit just in the opening of the stoma and have no tube curving into the airway at all. These are used to maintain the stoma for advantageous access when needed.