title: Pharyngoesophageal myotomy for vocal rehabilitation of laryngectomees.
abstract: Pharyngoesophageal myotomy, performed in 16 laryngectomees to improve vocal rehabilitation, proved to have some negative side effects. Although no failures of speech rehabilitation using a button were consequently found, a considerable number of button assisted esophageal speakers had a breathy voice. Also, the number of poor injection-esophageal speakers was much higher than in the group of nonmyotomized laryngectomees. A "normal" pseudoglottis could only rarely be identified by fluoroscopy in the myotomized group. A significantly lower intratracheal pressure appeared to be required for tracheo-esophageal phonation after myotomy. To improve the slightly disappointing voice rehabilitation results of the myotomized laryngectomees, a modified myotomy is proposed.
mesh_terms: D004947:Esophagus / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007825:Laryngectomy / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D009132:Muscles / Q000601:surgery*; D010609:Pharyngeal Muscles / Q000601:surgery*; D010699:Phonation; D013071:Speech, Alaryngeal; D013072:Speech, Esophageal; D014833:Voice Quality