Endoscopically monitored percutaneous dilational tracheotomy in a residency program

Objectives/Hypothesis: Endoscopically guided percutaneous dilational tracheotomy (PDT) has become a well-established alternative to the more traditional open tracheotomy, yet its use by otolaryngologists is limited. As airway management specialists, otolaryngologists should be familiar with a wide range of definitive procedures, including PUT. Few otolaryngology programs teach the technique. The objective of the present study was to determine the complication rate and outcome of PDT after its introduction in a residency teaching program. We also wished to evaluate whether the time savings reported by experienced surgeons could be repeated in our setting. Setting: Tertiary referral teaching hospital. Methods: We prospectively reviewed our first 54 consecutive PDTs and compared them to 29 consecutive standard open tracheotomies, which were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Complications (13% vs. 33%, P = .030), operative time (12 vs. 24 min, P < .0001) and total procedure time (37 vs. 80 min, P < .001) were significantly reduced in the PUT group as compared with standard tracheotomy. Initial outcome data were equal in both groups. Conclusions: We found that PDT can be safely and effectively taught as part of an otolaryngology residency training program.