Tracheostomy
Care

Our Tracheostomy Management Program features onsite Licensed Respiratory Care Practitioners, new state-of-the-art respiratory equipment, and an interdisciplinary medical team to best manage the complex care of trach patients. With the advent of smart telephone technology, remote evaluations are seamless and beneficial to all 24/7.

What is a Tracheostomy?
A tracheostomy is an opening created in a patients throat by a surgeon or Ear Nose & Throat specialist to assist him/her breath. It is performed to bypass an obstruction such as a throat tumor and more often, when a patient has been hospitalized on life support for a prolonged period (usually around two weeks).

Some patients may require a tracheostomy tube for the rest of their life, but others may be excellent candidates to have the tracheostomy removed and stoma (throat opening) reseal itself.

Options?
I. Decannulation (removal) of the tracheostomy tube. After the patient is evaluated to see if they are a candidate for tube removal, the patient is placed on a decannulation protocol. Using equipment that allows the patient to breath on his own through the mouth and speak with family and sta , the protocol gradually increases mouth and nose breathing while decreasing reliance on the tracheostomy tube.

When the patient can tolerate mouth and nose breathing over 24-48 hours and they are deemed ready, the tracheostomy tube is painlessly removed at the bedside. The stoma is covered with a dressing and in about ten days the opening closes. This is of benefit because not having the windpipe occupied by a tracheostomy tube decreases the chances for respiratory tract infections.

II. If the patient is not considered a candidate for decannulation, a communication protocol is initiated so that the patient can safely communicate with loved ones and staff. This patient is evaluated on a regular basis and if the underlying situation changes and/or the team deems that decannulation can be safely achieved, then another attempt is made.

Regardless of the situation, our team at Spring Creek communicates every step of the way with the patient and family so that everyone is on the same page with common goals.

Our trach patients benefit from:

• New, State-of-the-Art Respiratory Equipment
• Rounds by Licensed Respiratory Care Practitioners
• Interdisciplinary Team Management
• Best Evidence Based Protocols
• 24/7 Remote Evaluations

Our Goal
To reverse the throat opening as soon “as safely possible” and reintegrate the patient back home with loved ones.