Percutaneous tracheostomy: comparison of Ciaglia and Griggs techniques

Endoscopic percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy is at least as safe as standard open tracheostomy in the operating room (OR). Recently, a single dilator was introduced to accomplish dilatation of the tracheal aperture in one step, thus obviating the need for multiple graduated dilators. Experience with endoscopic percutaneous tracheostomy (PCT) using the single dilator in 40 patients to date supports the premise that the procedure is safe, rapid, and technically simple. In the study by Añon et al, two very different techniques, are compared: the Ciaglia percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy technique using multiple dilators and the Griggs percutaneous technique using guidewire-dilating forceps. Although relative complication rates for the two techniques are not significantly different, both procedures are performed in a 'blind' fashion, without the benefit of a bronchoscope. The reported incidence of serious complications in this study is high, and almost certainly avoidable with the addition of direct bronchoscopic visualization. Operative time is reported to be shorter with the Griggs technique, but this finding is unlikely to hold true for the single dilator technique, which reduces procedure time to less than 15 min. This author's experience with bedside endoscopic PCT using the single dilator indicates that it is a safe, rapid and cost-effective procedure with a low complication rate.