title: Usefulness of permanent tracheostoma in chronic brain injured patients: a case series.
abstract: Patients with severe neurological deficit, such as hypoxic ischemic injury, cerebral infarction, and traumatic brain injury, often show comatose mental status and require maintenance of long-term tracheostomy for pulmonary toileting. However, several complications, which are mostly related to the cannula, invariably occur. Permanent tracheostoma is a short, skin-lined, noncollapsing, self-sustaining opening by suturing the denuded skin lining to the margin of the tracheal stoma. This tube-free method is a useful alternative to make long-term airway without tube-related complications in chronic diseases, such as obstructive sleep apnea, and laryngeal cancer, however, it has not yet been reported in chronic brain injured patients. This case report illustrates 3 cases of vegetative patients in our rehabilitation clinic who underwent successful procedure of permanent tracheostoma. Permanent tracheostoma has some benefits associated with the free of tube-related complications, and can be considered as a useful alternative way for chronic brain injured patients with long-term tracheostomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Yu Hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Won
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Hanyang University Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seo Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Han Su
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, School of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea. acebhs@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hasuk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bae
mesh_terms: D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014132:Trachea / Q000601:surgery*; D014139:Tracheostomy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Permanent tracheostoma; chronic brain injury; rehabilitation; tracheostomy