title: Balloon-facilitated percutaneous dilational tracheostomy tube placement: preliminary report of a novel technique.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe a novel technique for percutaneous tracheotomy (PT) that could be an alternative to current dilational techniques.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational animal study of PT was performed using the Seldinger guide wire technique with a tracheostomy tube preloaded onto a dilational balloon catheter. A small skin incision was done with an 11-blade scalpel, but no blunt subcutaneous tissue dissection was performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Animal laboratory in a university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven adult pigs (approximate weight, 16 to 21 kg).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Successful tracheostomy was accomplished in all seven pigs without apparent complication. Vital signs and oximetry results remained unchanged throughout the procedure. The mean duration of the procedure was 5.5 min from tracheal puncture to ventilation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This novel procedure is a simple and effective means of PT tube placement without subcutaneous tissue dissection and could potentially have decreased complications when compared to the standard methods of PT currently employed in humans. Human studies are pending.
authors.affiliation: University of Kentucky Division of Pulmonary/Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, 40536, USA. michael.zgoda@uky.edu
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Zgoda
authors.forename: Rolando
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000379:methods*; D013552:Swine; D014139:Tracheostomy / Q000379:methods*