This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Hazards

Authoring team

A tracheostomy has important hazards, mainly haemorrhage as a result of failure to appreciate variable regional anatomy inferior to the thyroid gland:

  • inferior thyroid veins: form plexus anterior to the trachea and descend inferiorly
  • thyroid ima artery: present in 10% of population and ascends to the inferior margin of thyroid isthums on anterior surface of trachea
  • children:
    • superiorly-lying structures:
      • vessels: left brachiocephalic vein and confluence of veins can lie anterior to trachea within the root of the neck
      • thymus: covers a similar region before it regresses
    • trachea has a weak wall and is mobile; this makes the posteriorly-positioned oesophagus prone to damage when incising

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2025 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.