A surgical procedure involving an incision between the cricoid cartilage and the trachea (windpipe).
From 'crico-' (relating to the cricoid cartilage) plus 'tracheotomy' (incision into the trachea, from Greek tracheia, rough, and tome, cutting). This compound surgical term specifies the exact location of the incision.
Cricotracheotomy is one of several surgical approaches to creating an emergency airway—surgeons choose between cricothyrotomy and cricotracheotomy based on the specific situation and how much time they have.
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