Overview of 100 patients with voice prosthesis after total laryngectomy--experience of single institution

Surgical procedures, especially total laryngectomy, used for treatment of advanced laryngeal carcinoma, have a profound adverse effect on the patient's physical, functional, and emotional health, and almost always decrease quality of life. There are three main types of voice rehabilitation after surgery. They are: esophageal speech techniques, the use of artificial larynx devices and tracheoesophageal puncture with the insertion of various types of voice prostheses. Voice prosthesis was inserted in 100 patients in the ENT Department, University Hospital Center Zagreb, from January 2004 until February 2011, and 91 of these patients were included in our study. The prosthesis was inserted secondary at 71 patients, while in other 20 it was inserted primary, i.e. immediately after laryngectomy as a part of the same procedure. Voice rehabilitation was initiated 10th day after primary insertion and 1st-3rd day after secondary insertion. The postoperative voice quality was compared with a five degree scale, which was taken from Hilger's retrospective study (2000). The rehabilitation was successful in 75.8% of our patients. Early complication rate was 4.4%, and 10.9% of patients had late complications. Statistical analysis didn't show significant differences regarding the complications rate and success rate of rehabilitation between groups of patients, formed according to age, irradiation status and timing of prosthesis insertion.