[The technic of tracheotomy: experience with 250 tracheotomies]

The results of 250 tracheostomies, primarily or secondarily performed at the intensive care unit of the Surgical Department of the Basle University, are presented. The standardized technique of tracheotomy is described, details for the choice and management of large prestretched double-cuff tracheostomy tubes are given, a new method of low-pressure cuff-blocking is outlined. The follow-up studies --autopsy, clinical examination and tracheoscopy--demonstrate a very low complication rate, due to the technique of tracheostomy, the preferred tracheostomy tubes and the method of alternate low-pressure cuff-blocking.