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.