Aspirated stoma button: an unusual complication.

The larynx functions as a protective valve of the upper airway. An end-tracheostomy represents a risk factor for foreign body aspiration. We describe a case of tracheostomy stoma button aspiration, leading to recurrent chest infection and irreversible lung damage, necessitating a pneumonectomy. This is the first reported case of this kind. This case also emphasizes the importance of patient education and of stoma button design.