Cricothyrotomy is a temporary emergency procedure used for the urgent rescue of patients with laryngeal obstruction when tracheal intubation or tracheotomy cannot be performed in time or under existing conditions.
Surgical Method
The positions of the thyroid cartilage and cricoid cartilage are identified. A horizontal skin incision approximately 3–4 cm long is made in the space between the thyroid cartilage and cricoid cartilage. The anterior neck muscle layer is dissected, and the cricothyroid membrane is quickly transected horizontally for about 1 cm until it fully communicates with the laryngeal cavity. The opening is held apart with a hemostat, and a tracheal cannula is inserted.
Figure 1 Incision for cricothyrotomy
The inserted cannula should not remain in place for more than 48 hours. Once respiratory distress is relieved, routine tracheotomy should be performed as soon as possible to prevent complications such as damage to the cricoid cartilage and subsequent laryngeal stenosis. In cases of extreme urgency where incision is not feasible, multiple large-bore needles, a rapid cricothyrotomy puncture device, or locally available sharp instruments may be directly introduced into the laryngeal cavity through the cricothyroid membrane to temporarily relieve respiratory distress. Subsequent treatment should involve tracheal intubation or routine tracheotomy.