Study Design
A retrospective chart review was performed on patients >18 years old who underwent a tracheostomy from January 2017 through December 2018 at an academic cancer center. Exclusion criteria for the patient cohort included presence of stomaplasty, total laryngectomy, and tracheostomies performed at outside hospitals. These parameters identified 321 eligible patients. Each medical record was reviewed to assess the tracheostomy technique used, post-operative course, and patient demographics and comorbidities. Specific comorbidities evaluated were body mass index, use of anticoagulation, prior chemoradiation, and history of obstructive pulmonary diseases such as COPD, OSA, and asthma. The research question for this study focused on patients with pulmonary disease processes such as asthma, COPD, and OSA. Other variables were collected for a comprehensive analysis and for statistical evaluation models.