Tracheostomy is a surgically created hole through the front of the patient’s neck and into the windpipe (trachea). It provides an air passage to help the patient breathe when the usual route for breathing is somehow obstructed or impaired.

When neuromuscular disease weakens the muscles used for breathing, many people benefit greatly from non-invasive ventilation (NIV) through face mask and nasal plugs. However, as a person’s breathing capacity deteriorates, this often leads to switching to tracheostomy.

The more common reason for switching to tracheostomy is that after successfully using NIV for some time, a person’s breathing muscles weaken further with progression of a severe neuromuscular disease.

Tracheostomy care might be visually hard and complicated at first but with proper knowledge and practice, it is one of the basic skills our certified nurses possess. We make sure our nurses provide safe and competent care and understand the immediate post-operative and long-term management of tracheostomy care. Thus, high risk of complications such as infection, impaired ventilation, and airway obstruction among others must be prevented. We believe in adhering to evidence-based guidelines to avoid poor outcomes and skilled bedside nursing care can prevent any complication.

Star Home Nurses help patients maintain a positive outlook about living with tracheostomy whether it is temporary or permanent.