| | Joined: Dec 2012 Posts: 7 Member | OP  Member
Joined: Dec 2012 Posts: 7 | Have posted a few times, but feel lost on how to do it right. My question is at what point can a trach be removed. I am caregiver to my husband who had a partial glossectomy on 12/17/12. Trach and PEG tube were put in at that point. My husband has worked in the medical field for the last 25 years and he is so compulsive about germs he is cleaning out the trach like every hour. He can breathe with the trach capped without any problem. When does anyone think they might remove this?????
1/16/12 - diagnosed with Stage IV BOT cancer with 2 nodes involved. HPV+
2/12 - 4/12 - 40 rads and 8 chemo
7/12 - PET clean
10/12 - cancer back at base of tongue
12/17/12 - partial glossectomy, neck dissection
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | "OCF Canuck" Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Dec 2010 Posts: 5,260 Likes: 3 | It should have come out a few days post op.
Cheryl : Irritation - 2004 BX: 6/2008 : Inflam. BX: 12/10, DX: 12/10 : SCC - LS tongue well dif. T2N1M0. 2/11 hemigloss + recon. : PND - 40 nodes - 39 clear. 3/11 - 5/11 IMRT 33 + cis x2, PEG 3/28/11 - 5/19/11 3 head, 2 chest scans - clear(fingers crossed) HPV-, No smoke, drink, or drugs, Vegan
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2011 Posts: 1,024 "OCF Kiwi Down Under" Patient Advocate (1000+ posts) | | "OCF Kiwi Down Under" Patient Advocate (1000+ posts)
Joined: Mar 2011 Posts: 1,024 | If he can breathe with the trachy capped it is definitely safe to remove it. I would talk to the Drs involved. Why do they want to keep it in?
As for cleaning it, every 8 hrs is frequent enough unless it is getting crusted with secretions.
Hope you get some answers,
Tammy
Caregiver/advocate to Husband Kris age 59@ diagnosis
DX Dec '10 SCC BOT T4aN2bM0 HPV+ve.Cisplatin x3 35 IMRT.
PET 6/11 clear.
R) level 2-4 neck dissection 8/1/11 to remove residual node - necrotic with NED
Feb '12 Ca back.. 3/8/12 total glossectomy/laryngectomy/bilat neck dissection/partial pharyngectomy etc. clear margins. All nodes negative for disease. PEG in.
March 2017 - 5 years disease free. Woohoo!
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2012 Posts: 381 "OCF Canuck" Platinum Member (300+ posts) | | "OCF Canuck" Platinum Member (300+ posts)
Joined: Sep 2012 Posts: 381 | My trach was in for 7 days, then they switched to a fenestrated tube. The rule was it had to be capped for 24 hours straight, then they would remove it. I had that for just over a day and a half then they removed it.
Tina
Diag: Aug. 13/12
T3N0M0
50% + glossectomy and bilateral radical neck dissection, removal of nodes zones I - V
Surgery October 11/12
Chemo/rad on hold due to clear margins and nodes
Sept 21/13 clear CT with anomaly thought to be the artery, being watched closely.
Dec 16/13 - anomaly confirmed artery, all clear
nickname: "get 'r done"
Plans: kick cancer's butt
| | | | | Joined: Dec 2012 Posts: 16 Likes: 1 Member | | Member
Joined: Dec 2012 Posts: 16 Likes: 1 | Everyone heals at their own pace but if it is capped it should be removed after 24 hours of being capped. If the drs are keeping it in I'm sure it's for a reason so a good thing would to be just ask the drs when they make their rounds  I hope your husband has a speedy recovery! And to him cleaning the trach, again ask the dr if that causes a problem but from my experience (which I'm still in the process of experiencing) my trach hole area is oozing stuff out while it is healing so it might be healing around the trach and oozing hence him cleaning . I got mine out about a week ago with my surgery on the 27th of December (keep in mind I'm 19 and a quick healer). Having a trach in is scary and if he wants to clean it and its not causing problems, let him clean it just as long as he's cleaning around it. If he's uncapping it then that is probably why they aren't removing it. It needs to be capped untouched for 24 hours before removed. Hope this helped and good luck!
Shelby, 28 yrs old, stage 3 tongue cancer, non- smoker, not HPV, 12/27/12 partial glossectomy and neck dissection, 1 lymph node positive, Chemo and Rad 5 days a week, 32 treatments, feeding tube in, finish treatment 3/22/13 back to normal basically
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts) | | Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 10,507 Likes: 7 | Cleaning it hourly is too often. Every time the trach comes out he is risking getting more germs. Since he is able to breathe when it is capped, ask his doctor about having it removed.
ChristineSCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44 2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07 -65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr Clear PET 1/08 4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I surg 4/16/08 clr marg 215 HBO dives 3/09 teeth out, trismus 7/2/09 recur, Stg IV 8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy 3wks medicly inducd coma 2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit PICC line IV antibx 8 mo 10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg OC 3x in 3 years very happy to be alive | | |
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