Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026

Endotracheal Intubation via Tracheotomy and Subsequent Thoracotomy in Rats for Non-Survival Applications
Published on: March 15, 2024
Tracheostomy Tube-induced Tracheoesophageal Fistula
Ai Ping Chua1, Bhavin Dalal, Atul C Mehta
1Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH.
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.
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