The etymology of the word tracheotomy comes from two Greek words: the root tom - (from Greek τομή tomḗ) meaning "to cut '', and the word trachea (from Greek τραχεία tracheía). The word tracheostomy, including the root stom - (from Greek στόμα stóma) meaning "mouth, '' refers to the making of a semi-permanent or permanent opening, and to the opening itself. Some sources offer different definitions of the above terms. Part of the ambiguity is due to the uncertainty of the intended permanence of the stoma at the time it is created.
procedure that creates a permanent artificial opening in the trachea
tracheotomy