Abstract
The long-term use of a conventional tracheal cannula for patients with stenosis of the upper respiratory tract carries many problems; injury to the tracheal wall. inducement of the cough reflex, difficulty in keeping it clean and necessity for regular exchanges, etc.
On the other hand, a permanent tracheal fenestration sometimes ends in unsatisfactory result because of dyspnea due to stenosis of the stoma.
The authors developed a new simple device, a cuff button-like cannula, to secure the tracheal stoma for a long time. This device made of the bridged dimethylpolysiloxan (DMPS) is harmless for human tissues and shaped like a cuff button.
As this cuff button-like cannula is flexible and elastic, it is easy to insert and also to remove. When patients keeping vocal function a speech valve can be attached to this cannula.
Up to now we used this device in 9 cases without any troubles; one of them could go to school again and some have been back to their jobs.
