Having a Tracheostomy

The length of time in hospital will vary from person to person and often depends on whether the tracheostomy is temporary or permanent. You and your family will be taught how to look after the tracheostomy to ensure you are confident before you go home.

Most hospitals now adopt a No Smoking policy and there are no smoking facilities on the ward. If you do smoke it is in your own health interests to stop smoking for at least 24 hours prior to your anaesthetic.

Following your operation you may be unable to smoke as you will not be able to draw as effectively from a cigarette. It is in your best interests to start a giving up smoking programme and the staff at the hospital can help you with this or you can seek advice from your GP’s surgery.

Please bring nightwear, day wear, dressing gown, towels, toiletries, slippers, books/magazines and a pen. It is important that you bring any medication you are currently taking, including any inhalers. It will also be helpful to arrange for a relative or friend to wash your nightwear etc and bring in fresh supplies. Hospital nightwear is available if necessary.

Please do not bring any valuables such as jewelry or large sums of money with you. However you may wish to have a small amount of money for newspapers etc. and the hospital bedside television/telephone system. The hospital cannot take responsibility for your valuables. On your admission you will be asked to sign a disclaimer for any valuables you may have with you, accepting your responsibility. Valuables may be taken for temporary safe keeping, by the ward staff, while you have your operation and you will be issued with a receipt.

When you have been taken to your bed the nurse will welcome you and check your details. It is necessary for you wear a theatre gown for your operation. This will be given to you by the nurse and she will instruct you how to wear it and give assistance if required.

You will also be given a pair of white elastic stockings to wear during and after the operation which will help to prevent blood clots in your legs. They will feel quite tight to wear and the nurses will help you put these on.

You may need to have your neck shaved before the operation. This may be done in the theatre.

Just before going to theatre a checklist is completed by the nurse. You will then be taken on your bed to the operating theatre usually by a porter and a nurse. Dentures, glasses and hearing aids can be taken out in the anaesthetic room and taken back to the ward by the nurse or you may like to put them in your locker before your operation. Here the anaesthetist will insert a small needle into the back of your hand through which you will receive the anaesthetic. The nurse will stay with you until you are fully under the anaesthetic and fully asleep. You will be in the theatre for most of the day. You will not wake up until the operation is over and you are back on your bed in the recovery area. You will then be taken back to the ward, on your bed, by a porter and a nurse.