What is "tracheotome"

n. A medical instrument used to perform an incision in the trachea.

A tracheotome is a medical instrument used to perform an incision in the trachea with a cutting blade operated by a powered cannula. It is often called a tracheostomy tube because once it enters the stoma in the trachea, a breathing tube is connected to a ventilator and oxygen is provided to the lungs.

There are different types of tracheotomes. They can be made of metal, plastic or silicone. Plastic and silicone are widely used since they reduce the complications from the tracheotomy procedure such as subglottic stenosis and erosion of large blood vessels.