Tracheotomy ( ) is a
surgical procedure which consists of making an incision on the
anterior aspect of the neck and opening a direct airway through an incision in the
trachea (windpipe). The resulting
stoma (hole), or
tracheostomy, can serve independently as an
airway or as a site for a
tracheostomy tube to be inserted; this tube allows a person to
breathe without the use of his or her nose or mouth. Both surgical and
percutaneous techniques are widely used in current surgical practice. It is among the oldest described procedures.