• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.72 no.3
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• pp.261-274
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• 2012

For decades, the standard technique for tracheostomy was the open, surgical technique. However, during the past 20 years, the use of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy has been increased and shown to be a feasible and safe procedure in critically ill patients. The purpose of this report is to review the percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy technique, describe the role of bronchoscopy as guidance for the procedure, and identify the available evidences comparing percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy to surgical tracheostomy.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.54-57
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• 2016

Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) has become an increasingly popular method of establishing an airway for patients in need of chronic ventilator assistance. We report a rare case of a 42-year-old female who developed extensive subcutaneous emphysema, bilateral pneumothoraces, pneumomediastinum, and pneumoperitoneum after percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy. The patient suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and underwent PDT after a period of mechanical ventilation. During PDT, tracheostomy tube was inserted into the paratracheal space. Follow-up chest radiography and computed tomography of chest and abdomen revealed extensive subcutaneous emphysema, bilateral pneumothoraces, pneumomediastinum, and pneumoperitoneum. The patient was treated successfully with insertion of the thoracostomy tube and conservative care.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.277-279
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• 2018

A 68-year-old man presented with a posterior tracheal wall injury caused by percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy. The wound was immediately covered with an absorbable polyglycolic acid sheet. Ten days after the injury, the perforation was closed with knotless sutures using a Castroviejo needle-holder through the tracheostomy. The successful repair in this case indicates the feasibility of the knotless suture technique for perforations. The technique is described in detail in this report. The patient was weaned from the mechanical ventilator on postoperative day 25. In cases of posterior tracheal posterior wall perforation, every effort should be made to repair the perforation through an existing opening.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.1277-1283
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• 1998

Background : Surgical tracheostomy(ST) is usually performed by surgeons in operating room. For a patient with mechanical ventilation, however, transportation to operating room for ST could be dangerous for patients. In addition, ST is often delayed due to unavailability of operating room or surgeon. Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy(PDT), although novel in Korea, is gaining popularity as a bedside procedure in the hospitals of western countries. We evaluated the technical ease and safety of PDT in comparison with ST. Method : Thirty-eight patients in medical intensive care unit (ICU) who were either under mechanical ventilation for more than 7 days or required airway protection, were randomly assigned to ST(18 patients) or PDT(20 patients). Between two groups, there was no significant clinical difference except that female to male ratio was higher in the ST group. ST was performed by second year residents of the department of otolaryngology while PDT was performed by third grade medical resident and pulmonologist under bronchoscopic guide using Ciaglia Percutaneous Tracheostomy Set(Cook Critical Care, Bloomington, USA) in medical ICU. The following factors were compared between two groups : number of delayed cases after the decision for tracheostomy, procedural time, complications related to tracheostomy. Results : Delayed cases were 11 in ST group and 3 in PDT group (P<0.05). Procedural time was significantly shorter in PDT group ($15.6{\pm}7.1min$) than in ST group ($29.1{\pm}11.6min$, P<0.0001). Complications related to tracheostomy occurred in 5 cases in ST group : accidental decannulation (1), subcutaneous emphysema (2) and minor bleeding (2), and in 4 cases in PDT group : minor bleeding (2), subcutaneous emphysema (1) and premature extubation (1) (P>0.05). Conclusion : Since percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy was easy to practice and its complications were not different from surgical tracheostomy, PDT can be a useful bedside procedure for mechanically ventilated patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.346-352
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• 2023

Background: A significant proportion of cardiac surgery intensive care unit (CSICU) patients require long-term ventilation, necessitating tracheostomy placement. The goal of this study was to evaluate the long-term postoperative outcomes and complications associated with percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) in CSICU patients. Methods: All patients undergoing PDT after cardiac, thoracic, or vascular operations in the CSICU between January 1, 2013 and January 1, 2021 were identified. They were evaluated for mortality, decannulation time, and complications including bleeding, infection, and need for surgical intervention. Multivariable regression models were used to identify predictors of early decannulation and the complication rate. Results: Ninety-three patients were identified for this study (70 [75.3%] male and 23 [24.7%] female). Furthermore, 18.3% of patients had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 21.5% had history of stroke, 7.5% had end-stage renal disease, 33.3% had diabetes, and 59.1% were current smokers. The mean time from PDT to decannulation was 39 days. Roughly one-fifth (20.4%) of patients were on dual antiplatelet therapy and 81.7% had anticoagulation restarted 8 hours post-tracheostomy. Eight complications were noted, including 5 instances of bleeding requiring packing and 1 case of mediastinitis. There were no significant predictors of decannulation prior to discharge. Only COPD was identified as a negative predictor of decannulation at any point in time (hazard ratio, 0.28; 95% confidence interval, 0.08-0.95; p=0.04). Conclusion: Percutaneous tracheostomy is a safe and viable alternative to surgical tracheostomy in cardiac surgery ICU patients. Patients who undergo PDT have a relatively short duration of tracheostomy and do not have major post-procedural complications.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.128-135
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• 2023

Background: Pneumonia caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 can cause acute respiratory distress syndrome, often requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation and eventually tracheostomy. Both procedures occur in isolation units where personal protective equipment is needed. Additionally, the high bleeding risk in patients with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) places a great strain on surgeons. We investigated the clinical characteristics and outcomes of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) supported by ECMO, and compared the outcomes of patients with and without ECMO. Methods: This retrospective, single-center, observational study included patients with severe COVID-19 who underwent elective PDT (n=29) from April 1, 2020, to October 31, 2021. The patients were divided into ECMO and non-ECMO groups. Data were collected from electronic medical records at Ajou University Hospital in Suwon, Korea. Results: Twenty-nine COVID-19 patients underwent PDT (24 men [82.8%] and 5 women [17.2%]; median age, 61 years; range, 26-87 years; interquartile range, 54-71 years). The mean procedure time was 17±10.07 minutes. No clinically or statistically significant difference in procedure time was noted between the ECMO and non-ECMO groups (16.35±7.34 vs. 18.25±13.32, p=0.661). Overall, 12 patients (41.4%) had minor complications; 10 had mild subdermal bleeding from the skin incision, which was resolved with local gauze packing, and 2 (6.9%) had dislodgement. No healthcare provider infection was reported. Conclusion: Our PDT approach is safe for patients and healthcare providers. With bronchoscopy assistance, PDT can be performed quickly and easily even in isolation units and with acceptable risk, regardless of the hypo-coagulable condition of patients on ECMO.