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Functional outcome after surgery for prevention of pharyngospasms in tracheoesophageal speakers. Part I: Speech characteristics
Author(s) -
Blom Eric D.,
Hamaker Ronald C.,
Pauloski Barbara Roa
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1288/00005537-199510000-00016
Subject(s) - esophageal speech , outcome (game theory) , audiology , medicine , psychology , laryngectomy , surgery , larynx , mathematics , mathematical economics
The speech characteristics of 29 patients with primary tracheoesophageal puncture who received either a pharyngeal constrictor myotomy, a unilateral pharyngeal plexus neurectomy, or a unilateral pharyngeal plexus neurectomy with drainage myotomy limited to the cricopharyngeus were studied. All patients used a Blom‐Singer low‐pressure voice prosthesis. Audio recordings of each patient speaking with both the Blom‐Singer tracheostoma valve and manual occlusion of the tracheostoma were recorded at 3 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery. The three surgical variations were equally effective at preventing pharyngospasms; only 1 patient (10%) in each group had some loss of fluency during the 12 month study period. Neurectomized patients produced significantly higher fundamental frequencies during reading than did patients in the other groups. Residual resting tone in the neurectomized pharyngoesophageal segment may contribute to more favorable speaking frequencies in this group.