An evaluation of open tracheostomy in oral and maxillofacial surgery

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to evaluate the indications; utilisation and the overall impact of tracheostomy on the practice of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University College Hospital; Ibadan; Nigeria. In a retrospective study of a total of 381 patients operated under general anaesthesia by the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery within the study period; 41 patients (10.8) were tracheostomised. There were 26 males and 15 females with a ratio of 1.71 and the mean age was 28.9 years (SD = 12.25; range of 5 - 65 years). Indications for tracheostomy were orofacial tumours 70.7 (n=29); trauma 19.5 (n=8); temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis 7.3 (n=3) and post operative airway obstruction 2.4 (n=1). Orofacial tumours account for a major part of the indication for tracheostomy as a surgical airway intervention which is safe and with low morbidity