All of the following are true about tracheostomy EXCEPT:
The avoidance of prolonged orotracheal and nasotracheal intubation decreases the risk of laryngeal and subglottic injury and potential stenosis, facilitates oral and pulmonary suctioning, and decreases patient's discomfort. When the tracheostomy is no longer needed, the tube is removed and closure of the opening usually occurs spontaneously over a 2-week period. Placement of a tracheostomy does not obligate a patient to loss of speech. When a large cuffed tracheostomy tube is in place, expecting a patient to be capable of normal speech is impractical. However, after a patient is downsized to an uncuffed tracheostomy tube, intermittent finger occlusion or Passy-Muir valve placement will allow a patient to communicate while still using the tracheostomy to bypass the upper airway.
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