Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Surgical incision of the trachea through the neck, as to make an artificial opening for breathing.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun In surgery, the operation of making an opening into the trachea or windpipe.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Surg.) The operation of making an opening into the windpipe.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun surgery A surgical procedure in which an incision is made into the trachea, through the neck, and a tube inserted so as to make an artificial opening in order to assist breathing.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a surgical operation that creates an opening into the trachea with a tube inserted to provide a passage for air; performed when the pharynx is obstructed by edema or cancer or other causes

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From trachea + -otomy

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Examples

  • WOODRUFF: Sanjay, if I'm hearing you correctly, I'm hearing you using both the term tracheotomy and tracheostomy, which is it, or is it both?

    CNN Transcript Feb 24, 2005 2005

  • What he's suggesting is something called a tracheotomy, which is where you take a tube and put it -- insert into the neck and put into the baby's lungs to help make breathing easier.

    CNN Transcript Nov 2, 2009 2009

  • Once again he brought up the subject of the doctors at the hospital performing this procedure called a tracheotomy on my throat.

    A Body Divided, 2 2010

  • A tracheotomy is a procedure performed in that situation.

    CNN Transcript Feb 24, 2005 2005

  • Last week, he had a tracheotomy, which is not the usual treatment for thyroid cancer; it's only done when something has gone wrong and the patient is having trouble breathing.

    CNN Transcript Nov 2, 2004 2004

  • But even in experienced hands, a tracheotomy could be a tricky procedure.

    Critical Condition Clement, Peter, M.D 2002

  • Our only resource in this form of the disease used to be by mechanical or surgical means, opening the windpipe below the level of the obstruction and inserting a curved silver tube -- the so-called tracheotomy operation; or later, and less heroic, by pushing forcibly down into the larynx, and through and past the obstruction at the vocal cords, a small metal tube through which the child could manage to breathe.

    Preventable Diseases Woods Hutchinson 1896

  • The tracheotomy was the result of a bout with pneumonia that left her gasping for air and it returned her to the big, bountiful, hungry life that was one of her greatest roles.

    NYT > Home Page By MANOHLA DARGIS 2011

  • A surgical procedure known as a tracheotomy was performed Saturday morning.

    Thestar.com - Home Page 2011

  • BACKGROUND: A tracheotomy is a surgical procedure in which a cut or opening is made in the windpipe.

    TheDenverChannel.com - Local News 2009

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