title: Prospective evaluation of the retrograde percutaneous translaryngeal tracheostomy (Fantoni procedure) in a surgical intensive care unit: technique and results of the Fantoni tracheostomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Controversy surrounds the safety and practicality of the retrograde percutaneous translaryngeal tracheostomy (Fantoni procedure) compared with other percutaneous methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used the Fantoni tracheostomy for 245 patients in our intensive care unit (ICU) over a period of 3 years 6 months and conducted a prospective analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We are able to report a low incidence of complications (1.2%) with the Fantoni procedure. Advantages of the method are reduced tissue trauma and optimal adaptation of the stoma to the cannula, leading to less stomal bleeding and fewer infectious complications. We observed no procedure-related mortality. Under mandatory bronchoscopic control, proper puncture location and cannula placement are ensured, which prevents tracheal wall injury and paratracheal placement of the cannula.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our experience shows that the major advantage of the use of the Fantoni tracheostomy is the retrograde dilatation of the stoma, which prevents serious complications compared with other techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Visceral, Thoracic, and Vascular Surgery, Technical University Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany. ralf.konopke@uniklinikum-dresden.de
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Konopke
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Volk
authors.forename: Jaroslaw
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pyrc
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bergert
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blomenthal
authors.forename: Joerg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gastmeier
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kersting
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011677:Punctures; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D014139:Tracheostomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome