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Hello, kerrig0707.
Although the answer to your question eludes me, it drives me to ask you a few questions! I have had a tracheostomy for a few years. Why can't you put a "plug" over the opening when using your machine for CPAP?
Don't they make a certain plug to see if a person is able to breathe through their nose and mouth without the help from the stoma-opening? Doctors do this to see if the person is capable of having the tracheostomy removed. Will the skin-flap procedure eventually heal, but you need use of the machine immediately?
My ENT told me that many people decide to receive a tracheostomy, rather than live with a CPAP machine the rest of their lives. Although that is hard for me to fathom, my tracheostomy has been a lifesaver in terms of mucus removal and being able to breathe freely. Would you go back to the tracheostomy, and why did you decide to remove it?
Replies to "Hello, kerrig0707. Although the answer to your question eludes me, it drives me to ask you..."
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Hello, @thomasan. thaks for your response. I have undergone almost a year of trials in which i had polysomnigrams (sleep tests) with my tracheostomy pluged and my apnea hypopnia index is low. now, the doctor who is the only one in this limited area of BC, states that if I do not breathe well, she will put in another tracheostomy I opted for BIPAP because the tracheostomy i had been using which was a #4 shyley, was discontinued and the replacement did not work, it restricted my breathing, it protruded too far. I only ever used the tracheostomy for sleep apnea, it was capped all day. we haven't found a sufficient plug strong enough to plug it while using my machine. honestly, htough i do think if your tracheostomy helps you reliee mucus plugs, it's great and a major advantage but i do not need this any longer. ps, i don't understand why ayone would chose a tracheostomy over BIPAP though BIPAP does take getting accustomed too.