Objective To explore the effect of continuous suction by small pipe in trachea cannula for patients after tracheotomy.Methods Totally 60 patients with tracheotomy in Neurosurgery Ward and ICU, the Affiliated Hospital of School of Medicine of Ningbo University were included by purposive sampling from January 2015 to August 2016, and were divided into observation group (n=30) and control group (n=30) by random number table method. Tracheostomy mask joint oxygen Inhalation by heating humidifier was applied in both groups, without using breathing machine. Routine nursing methods of tracheotomy was carried out in the control group, while continuous suction by small pipe in trachea cannula were used in the observation group. Respiratory complications and nursing workload of the two groups were compared during the first week after tracheotomy.Results In observation group, there were 3 cases of irritative cough, 2 cases of respiratory hemorrhage, 3 cases of hypoxemia while sputum suctioning, and the complications rate was lower than control group(21, 14, 16), the differences were statistically significant (χ2=22.500, 12.273, 13.017;P<0.05). Times of suction in observation group and control group were (8.57±4.76) and (66.77±26.34), respectively, the difference was statistically significant (t=-11.908,P<0.01).Conclusions Continuous suction by small pipe in trachea cannula is a safe and effective method which could obviously reduce the respiratory complications while suctioning, decrease the times of endotracheal suction, as well as the workload of the nurse.