title: Videobronchoscopic guidance makes percutaneous dilational tracheostomy safer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Percutaneous dilational tracheostomy (PDT) can be performed under either conventional bronchoscopic or videobronchoscopic guidance. Only the latter procedure provides the surgeon with direct visual information. This study prospectively assessed procedural parameters and complications of PDT guided by conventional bronchoscopy (CB) or videobronchoscopy (VB).
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive intensive care unit (ICU) patients who underwent PDT were enrolled in this study. Videobronchoscopy was available in two ICUs, whereas CB was available in three ICUs. Demographic data, procedural variables, and complications were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, 36 patients underwent PDT guided by VB (group V), and 38 patients underwent PDT guided by CB (group C). The two groups were well matched in terms of gender, anatomic aspects, and positioning of the patient. Operating time, procedural difficulty, and extent of tracheal bleeding were not different between the two groups. Group V showed a tendency to younger age (p = 0.055). Surgeons significantly more often considered PTD to be "completely safe" in group V (92% vs 61% in group C). The skin incisions were smaller (p = 0.003), and the extent of stomal bleeding was less (p = 0.001). Complications were tendentiously less frequent in group V (5.5%) than in group C (23.7%; p = 0.062).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The surgeon performing PDT guided by VB has a higher degree of safety, resulting in less bleeding than with PDT guided by CB.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Transplant Surgery, University of Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria. michael.oberwalder@uibk.ac.at
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oberwalder
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Weis
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nehoda
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kafka-Ritsch
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bonatti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prommegger
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aigner
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Profanter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D004106:Dilatation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014140:Tracheotomy / Q000379:methods*; D020535:Video-Assisted Surgery