Life With ALS.com
+ Diagnosed Aug 2005
+ Bipap March 2007
+ PEG July 2007
+ Trache and Vent July 2008
Still Living, Loving & Laughing
There are many different brands of Trache’s and there is no right or wrong. What works best for one person might not work for someone else.
There are cuffed and cuffless trache tubes. For those that are not familiar with the 2 kinds I offer the following explanation. A cuffed tube has an inflatable balloon on the end which seals the trachea preventing air and secretions from passing. For those people who choke on food, or drink, these are used to prevent aspiration. If a person does not have any trouble with aspiration then a tube without a cuff can be used. This also allows them to talk, if they could prior to getting a tracheostomy.
I started off with a #6 Shiley (cuffless) which worked wonderfully for the first month. Then it started to irritate my trachea and I was choking constantly. I then went to a #8 Portex® Blue Line Ultra® Tracheostomy Tube Kit and things have been great for the last year. This tube moulds to the shape of your trachea with the heat from your body.
Product Features
* Thermosensitive PVC – provides sufficient rigidity for initial insertion, and then softens at body temperature to accommodate individual patient anatomy
* 105° angle for comfort in-situ
* Tube is suitably radio-opaque to enable confirmation of tube position
* Flange is soft for maximum patient comfort, and clear to ensure aesthetic acceptability
* Obturator features special clip design to minimize tube tip movement during insertion
* Fenestrated option features multiple fenestrations to minimize risk of occlusion of fenestrations
* Inner cannula designed to be robust and easy to use. Ring pull design aids smooth insertion and removal from tube, minimizing patient trauma
A lot of people also use a Bivona tube and like them.
This is the closest I
could come to a
picture of mine. I
have the cuffless
version,
Model #100-811-080
