ADVANTAGES AND COMPLICATIONS OF TRACHEOTOMY

Abstract

The possibility of relieving upper respiratory obstruction by a tracheotomy was first discussed by Asclepiades in 124 B.C., but the first authentic operation was probably performed by Brassavola in 1546.¹Until the middle of the 19th century, it was considered a hazardous procedure and was rarely performed. Even after this time it was still regarded as a last resort for such dire emergencies as might arise in membranous diphtheria, neoplasms of the upper respiratory tract, and, occasionally, injuries of the pharynx, larynx, and trachea. During the last 10 years the operation has been performed more frequently, but still usually as an emergency procedure, and the newer concept of an elective operation has been accepted with reluctance in many quarters. Anesthesiologists have come to recommend this operation more as a prophylactic measure than as an emergency treatment, not only because an airway is assured but, perhaps even more specifically, because