Retrospective comparison of Velcro® and twill tie outcomes following pediatric tracheotomy.

OBJECTIVES:To compare the rates of skin-related complications and accidental decannulation in pediatric patients who received Velcro® ties versus twill ties during the early postoperative period following tracheotomy. The rates of skin-related complications and accidental decannulation in patients with Velcro® ties was hypothesized to differ from those in patients with twill ties. METHODS:Medical records of 109 patients ≤18 years old who underwent elective tracheotomy were reviewed: 70 received twill ties and 39 received Velcro® ties. Patients were followed for the first seven postoperative days. The primary outcome was skin-related complications, which were further categorized into mild (irritation) and severe (breakdown). The secondary outcome was accidental decannulation. Rates of skin-related complication and accidental decannulation were compared across the two groups using chi-square analysis. RESULTS:Skin irritation occurred in 32 patients (45.7%) with twill ties and 10 patients (25.6%) with Velcro®. Skin breakdown occurred in 20 patients (28.6%) with twill ties and 6 patients (15.4%) with Velcro®. There were no accidental decannulation events. The use of Velcro® ties was associated with a decreased rate of skin irritation (OR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.17-0.97; P = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS:The use of Velcro® ties was associated with a decrease in the rate of skin irritation. There were no accidental decannulation events. These findings support the use of Velcro® ties at the time of pediatric tracheotomy placement.