Abstract
After total laryngectomy, regaining ability to speech is a keystone in regards of life quality. Voice prostheses have been shown to be a sufficient tool for satisfying communication, although frequent replacements of prostheses are burdening certain patients. Therefore, a more accurate understanding of mechanisms of prosthetic leakage is urgently needed. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 58 Patients after laryngectomy. Additionally, we analyzed pre-and post-therapeutic CT-scans of 22 Patients regarding pharyngeal stenosis. Results: In 40 Patients, at least one replacement of voice prosthesis was documented during observation period, median device life was 235 days. Patients treated with adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) showed a significantly longer device life than patients with adjuvant radio-chemotherapy (RCT, p = 0.002). Furthermore, patients suffering of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) showed a significantly shortened device life (p = 0.04). 17 patients (42.5 %) suffered of clinically relevant stenosis of the neopharynx, which was treated with dilatation in 14 patients (82 %) and did not affect prosthesis device life. Conclusion: GERD is a risk factor for shortened voice prosthesis' device life and therefore should be treated effectively after laryngectomy. Also, adjuvant RCT predisposes a shortened device life. Stenosis is observed frequently after laryngectomy but does not affect device life when effectively treated.
| Translated title of the contribution | GERD and adjuvant radio-chemotherapy predespose to recurrent voice prosthesis leakage |
|---|---|
| Original language | German |
| Pages (from-to) | 788-794 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Laryngo- Rhino- Otologie |
| Volume | 99 |
| Issue number | 11 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Nov 2020 |