Frequency of Tracheostomy Related Complications among Otolaryngologists Vs Non-Otolaryngologists in Patients Undergoing Tracheostomy at a Tertiary Care Hospital – A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: To determine the frequency of complications in patients undergoing open Tracheostomy and compare complication rate among otolaryngologist’s and neurosurgeons.Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Department of Otolaryngology and Neurosurgery, Patel Hospital Karachi, Pakistan, after taking the approval from Ethical review committee (ERC). It included 60 patients who underwent tracheostomy between 11st March 2024 till February 2025. Patients were divided into two equal groups: one group managed by Otolaryngologists and the other by Neurosurgeons. Demographic variables were age, gender, body mass index (BMI), surgeonspeciality, indications for tracheostomy, intra-operative and early postoperative complications (within 7 days) were recorded.Results: Of the 60 patients, 30 tracheostomies were performed by Otolaryngologists and Neurosurgeons each. In the Otolaryngology group, 26 patients (86.7%) were male and 4 (13.3%) were female, whereas in Neurosurgery group, 21 patients (70.0%) were male and 9 (30.0%) were female. Mean age of patients in otolaryngology group was 47.53 ± 8.82 years, while in neurosurgery group it was 49.80 ± 12.75 years. In the ENT group, there were no intra-operative or early postoperative complications observed. In contrast, five early post-complications (n=5/30, 16.7%) occurred in the Neurosurgery group, including haemorrhage (n=2/30), mucous plug (n=2/30), and subcutaneous emphysema (n=1/30). However, the difference in complication rates between the two groups was not statistically significant (p = 0.141). Additionally, Neurosurgery group had a higher prevalence of overweight BMI. Indications differed markedly as ENT cases included various indications with major bulk for head and neck malignancies and prolonged intubation, whereas Neurosurgery group primarily included prolonged intubation and head trauma.Conclusion: Tracheostomies carried out by otolaryngologists had a considerably lower rate of complications than those carried out by neurosurgeons. The results show how crucial specialty-specific training is, and they also imply that ENT participation could enhance procedural safety in tracheostomy care.