Introduction
Tracheostomy is a potentially life-saving procedure to secure a
patient’s airway. There have been many techniques developed in order to
mitigate risks of tracheostomy tube displacement, including the
stay-suture technique (SST) and Bjork flaps, among others. SST refers to
the placement of sutures either around a tracheal ring or between the
skin and lower trachea to ensure correct replacement of the tube into
trachea in case of accidental decannulation and to reduce risk of false
passage. While SST has been shown to reduce mortality associated with
accidental decannulation, it also presents potential complications
associated with introducing foreign material in close proximity to the
airway. This report reviews the current literature regarding retained
tracheostomy stay sutures and highlights a unique presentation of a
patient with a retained tracheostomy stay suture in the airway following
decannulation.