What are possible complications of having a tracheostomy tube?

Infection / bleeding: Tracheostomy tubes are not suggested without a very good reason (usually because the patient cannot breathe without a machine and won't recover that ability for some time). Like all artificial openings into the body, they can let germs in resulting in infection of the tube site or of the lungs. Very rarely, the tube can rub a hole into the neck blood vessels and major bleeding can result.