A prospective study was undertaken to compare, in intensive care patients, the safety and utility of a percutaneous tracheostomy technique with a surgical tracheostomy technique.
Between March of 1992 and June of 1993 we randomly selected 40 patients of the many who were in need of a tracheostomy. After dividing those patients into 2 groups, we performed the procedures. Twenty patients received a standard surgical
tracheostomy,
the other twenty received a percutaneous tracheostomy.
We found complications occurring in 6 patients who received the standard surgical tracheostomy while only 1 patient suffered complications from the group having the percutaneous tracheostomy. The most common complications being subcutaneous
emphysema,
pneumothorax, pnemonia, and hemorrhage.
Post-decannulation scar was 3.286±1.204mm in percutaneous group, 20.36±7.26mm in standard group.
In comparison to standard surgical tracheostomy, percutaneous tracheostomies were rapidly and easily performed and associated with significantly fewer complication and small post-decannulation scars.
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