Comparison of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy with surgical tracheostomy.

Rationale: Tracheostomy is done mostly in critically ill patients, many of whom may not survive. We still do not know the long term complications of tracheostomy itself; tracheal and subglottic stenosis, and tracheomalacia.

Objectives: To compare the complications of surgical tracheostomy (ST) versus percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) by means of MRI control up to 1 month after closed tracheostomy.

Results: There was no death related to tracheostomy. In both groups there were two preoperative complications: one minor hemorrhage and one subcutaneous empysema in the ST group, and one minor bleeding and one puncture ofendotracheal tube cuff in the PDT group. When the early and the late postoperative complications of the two groups were compared, it was observed that in the ST group, five early (one minor bleeding, three stomal infections and one accidental decannulation), and two late (one peristomal granuloma and one persistent stoma) postoperative complications had occurred. In the PDT group, four early (minor bleeding) and two late postoperative complications (two minor bleeding) were observed. MRI of two patients in the PDT group demonstrated tracheal stenosis.

Conclusions: PDT is as safe and as effective as ST. Although the early and late postoperative complication rates were not significant in the PDT group, we believe that further investigations with larger groups are necessary to find long-term outcome following PDT. MRI scanning provides an excellent non-invasive method of assessing the tracheal lumen.