Christopher Yurosko, Michael Machuzak
Tracheostomy is commonly performed to secure the airway in patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation. Although generally safe, late complications, including tracheomalacia, tracheomegaly, and tracheal rupture, can occur with prolonged tracheostomy dependence.1 Acquired focal tracheal injury after tracheostomy is rare and likely underreported.2,3 We describe a case of chronic tracheostomy dependence complicated by cuff-induced tracheal injury, managed with a custom tracheobronchial silicone Y-stent. This case highlights the importance of cuff pressure monitoring and presents a novel approach to complex airway stabilization.