Tracheostomy in Northern Nigeria- A Multicentre Review

Background: Conventional surgical tracheostomy is an old technique of bypassing the upper airway that remains relevant even in the 21^st century. Although many airway problems have been addressed in recent years via endotracheal intubation and endoscopically guided percutaneous tracheostomy, conventional surgical tracheostomy still remain the routine in our country for all airways that require surgical intervention. This study highlights the common indications and pattern of complications of tracheostomy in northern Nigeria.
Methods: A 5 year retrospective review of tracheostomy in three tertiary hospitals in the north east, north central and north west zones of Northern Nigeria.
Results: A total of 111 cases was analyzed, 79 (71.2%) males and 32 (28.8%) females with a m:f ratio of 2.5:1, age ranged between 2 months to 75 years, mean age of 29.4 and a std. deviation of 22.7. The commonest indication was head and neck tumors (37.8%) followed by airway foreign body (22.5%) and head and neck trauma (18.9%). Complication rate was 6.3% and mortality of 0.9%.
Conclusion: Tracheostomy is a life surgical procedure that is not devoid of complications, however most of the complications can be avoided with meticulous technique, adequate and appropriate post operative care.