The dragonfly technique for trachea closure in temporary tracheostomies. Surgical steps and clinical results

Purpose To assess the effectiveness of a new suturing technique called Dragonfly for the closure of temporary tracheotomies. This technique involves placing two sutures during the tracheotomy procedure and leaving them loose and unknotted until the day of skin closure. Methods Retrospective case con...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology 2024-11, Vol.281 (11), p.5947-5953
Main Authors: De Santis, Sante, Galassi, Stefania, Cambi, Jacopo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Case-Control Studies
Female
Head and Neck
Head and Neck Surgery
Humans
Male
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Middle Aged
Neurosurgery
Otorhinolaryngology
Postoperative Complications - epidemiology
Retrospective Studies
Suture Techniques
Trachea - surgery
Tracheal Stenosis - surgery
Tracheostomy - adverse effects
Tracheostomy - methods
Tracheotomy - adverse effects
Tracheotomy - methods
Treatment Outcome
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Summary:Purpose To assess the effectiveness of a new suturing technique called Dragonfly for the closure of temporary tracheotomies. This technique involves placing two sutures during the tracheotomy procedure and leaving them loose and unknotted until the day of skin closure. Methods Retrospective case control study. Monocentric study at a department of Otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at a tertiary centre in Italy. A total of 50 patients who underwent temporary tracheotomy between January 2017 and December 2021. Patients were divided into two groups based on the trachea closure method: traditional closure with sutures placed during the skin closure procedure (Group A) and the Dragonfly technique (Group B). The incidence of tracheal stenosis by Computed Tomography (CT), granulation tissue formation, bleeding, procedure duration, patient discomfort were evaluated. Results The incidence of tracheal complications and tracheal stenosis was reduced in Group B (6%) compared to Group A (24%). Procedure times (3 min vs. 6 min) durations was significantly shorter. No patients had symptoms of tracheal stenosis at the end of the procedures. Conclusion The Dragonfly suturing technique is effective and safe for tracheotomy closure, reducing the incidence of tracheal stenosis and shortening hospitalization duration compared to the traditional method.
ISSN:0937-4477
1434-4726
1434-4726
DOI:10.1007/s00405-024-08821-8