Correspondence

Transtracheal Oxygen Therapy Success

To the Editor

I am writing in regard to the article by Christopher and Schwartz¹ on transtracheal oxygen therapy (TTO) in a recent issue of CHEST (February 2011). Long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) by the transtracheal route has not been given enough credit by the medical community. I speak from experience as a retired board-certified general surgeon with severe COPD who is receiving LTOT.

I required nocturnal oxygen using a nasal cannula for 8 years but suffered with recurrent epistaxis due to the nasal