[Minitracheotomy].

Twenty-four consecutive patients undergoing minitracheotomy were reviewed. Postoperative sputum retention was the major indication. In one case the procedure was not possible. Nineteen patients made an uneventful recovery, and decanulation was done in 17. In four patients minitracheotomy treatment was discontinued because formal tracheotomy was performed subsequently. This method is much simpler, less invasive, and more advantageous than formal tracheotomy. It can also be used for the patients after median sternotomy. On the other hand, in the patients with misswallowing because of recurrent nerve palsy etc., conventional tracheotomy should be performed.