Surgical Airway By Vanessa Moll, MD, DESA, Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Critical Care Medicine Reviewed / Revised Apr 2023 View Patient Education Cricothyrotomy Tracheostomy Topic Resources Emergency cricothyrotomy How To Do a Cricothyrotomy... How To Do a Cricothyrotomy If the upper airway is obstructed because of a foreign body or massive facial trauma or if ventilation cannot be accomplished by other means, surgical entry into the trachea is required.