Therapeutic or Preventive Procedure
tracheostomy Audio
tra·che·os·to·my [ trey-kee-os-tuh-mee ]
Subclass of:
Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures; Thoracic Surgical Procedures; Airway Management; Ostomy
Definitions related to tracheostomy procedure:
  • (tracheotomy) Creation of a surgical opening into the trachea.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • (tracheostomy) A hole created through the front of the neck and into the windpipe (trachea). It provides an air passage when the usual route for breathing is obstructed, such as after a traumatic injury to the face or neck, or when long-term use of a breathing machine (ventilator) is needed.
    Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
    Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
  • (tracheostomy) Surgery to create an opening (stoma) into the windpipe. The opening itself may also be called a tracheostomy.
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • (tracheostomy) Surgical formation of an opening into the trachea through the neck, or the opening so created.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • Tracheostomy is an operative procedure that creates a surgical airway in the cervical trachea. It is most often performed in patients who have had difficulty weaning off a ventilator, followed by those who have suffered trauma or a catastrophic neurologic insult.
    Medscape
    WebMD, 2025
  • Tracheostomy (tray-key-OS-tuh-me) is a hole that surgeons make through the front of the neck and into the windpipe (trachea). A tracheostomy tube is placed into the hole to keep it open for breathing. The term for the surgical procedure to create this opening is tracheotomy.
    Mayo Clinic
    Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2025
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