Endotracheal tube guide and related tracheostomy surgical procedure

Abstract

An ET guide is provided which is preferably made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), also known as Teflon®. The distal end is of a reduced profile so that the guide can be left in place, with the ET removed in the operating room just prior to a tracheostomy. If for any reason problems are encountered in the tracheostomy procedure, the guide of the present invention, having been left in after the removal of the ET, can facilitate a reinsertion of the ET to avoid danger to the patient from a decrease in oxygen saturation. At the same time, the reduced distal profile allows the guide to remain in place during the tracheostomy procedure without obstructing the area of the incision for the tracheostomy. The guide can remain in place until the tracheostomy is successfully concluded, at which point it can be optionally removed. Leaving the guide in position as the tracheostomy is being conducted facilitates reinsertion of the ET which is routinely taken out in the operating room prior to the onset of the tracheostomy. In the preferred design, the guide has a circular cross-section until its distal end, which is a reduced-thickness, flattened segment of a predetermined length at the distal portion of the guide.