title: Tracheostomy Tube-induced Tracheoesophageal Fistula.
abstract: Tracheostomy is one of the most common elective surgical procedures performed in critically ill patients. The complications of tracheostomy may be categorized on the basis of duration from the procedure: early-intraoperative, medium-early postoperative, and late postoperative. Tracheoeosphageal fistula is one of the known late complications of tracheostomy. Injury to the tracheal wall can occur because of high cuff pressure or direct mechanical trauma from the tracheostomy tube. We report a case of tracheoeosphageal fistula caused by a cuffless tracheostomy tube that was managed by an endobronchial stent.
authors.affiliation: Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH.
authors.forename: Ai Ping
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.forename: Bhavin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dalal
authors.forename: Atul C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Mehta