Man Uses Steak Knife to Do Self-Tracheotomy

OMAHA, Neb. - An Omaha man struggling to breathe used a steak knife to perform an at-home tracheotomy. Steve Wilder said he thought he was going to die when he awoke one night last week and couldn't breath.

Wilder said he didn't call 911 because he didn't think help would arrive in time. So, the 55-year-old says, he got a steak knife from the kitchen and made a small hole in his throat, allowing air to gush in.

[A tracheotomy involves an incision in the trachea, or windpipe. They are performed by paramedics and in hospitals for acute situations and chronic conditions. If not done properly, however, they can cause bleeding and damage nerves and blood vessels.]

Wilder suffered from throat cancer and related breathing problems several years ago. About that time, he had an episode where he couldn't breath because his air passages swelled shut. He said that's what happened this time around.

Doctors don't expect Wilder to suffer any adverse affects from the tracheotomy once it's healed.

LiveScience Staff contributed to this report.