Tracheotomy

Tracheotomy
Completed tracheotomy: 1 – Vocal folds 2 – Thyroid cartilage 3 – Cricoid cartilage 4 – Tracheal rings 5 – Balloon cuff
ICD-10-PCS	0B110F4
ICD-9-CM	31.1
MeSH	D014140
MedlinePlus	002955
[edit on Wikidata]

Tracheotomy (/ˌtreɪkiˈɒtəmi/, UK also /ˌtræki-/), or tracheostomy, is a surgical airway management procedure which consists of making an incision (cut) on the anterior aspect (front) of the neck and opening a direct airway through an incision in the trachea (windpipe). The resulting stoma (hole) can serve independently as an airway or as a site for a tracheal tube or tracheostomy tube^[1] to be inserted; this tube allows a person to breathe without the use of the nose or mouth.