In a surgical cricothyroidotomy, a scalpel is used to make an incision over the patient’s larynx, or Adam’s apple, and dissect down to the cricothyroid membrane, a thin piece of cartilage in the front of the neck. At that point, an incision is made in that membrane and a tube is placed directly in the trachea to obtain an airway. Paramedics may be credentialed to perform this procedure.
Cricothyroidotomy medical expert witness specialties include otolaryngology, emergency medicine, head and neck surgery, pediatric otolaryngology, and anesthesiology.