Tracheotomy dependence is the state of having no choice but to breathe through a tracheotomy tube, because of an obstruction of the normal “pathway” for breathing, through nose and/or mouth, through the larynx, and only then into the trachea. Tracheotomy dependence may occur because part or all of the larynx has been removed, e.g., for cancer, or because of severe scarring or inflammation.