Ventilating a tracheostomy patient. Respiratory therapist using a ventilator bag to ventilate a patient after placement of a percutaneous tracheostomy. A tracheostomy is an operation that allows a patient to breathe through a tube without having to use their nose or mouth. Percutaneous dilational tracheostomy (PDT, or bedside tracheostomy) is a minimally invasive form of the operation, and can be done at the patient's bedside without the need for a full operation. The ventilation tube is attached to a tracheostomy tube inserted into the patient's trachea. Photographed in a hospital intensive care unit (ICU).