Speaking proficiency after primary tracheoesophageal puncture.
Nineteen patients who had undergone total laryngectomy with primary tracheoesophageal puncture underwent comprehensive testing of speaking proficiency. All patients learned to use tracheoesophageal speech in the immediate postoperative period. Overall, their speech was judged as highly intelligible in both objective and subjective testing when assessed by a panel of naive judges. Eighty per cent of all patients were easily understood on the telephone by a naive listener. During conversational speech, quantitative parameters such as vocal amplitude and fundamental frequency were similar to normal speakers. However they demonstrated limitations in vocal range and in peak amplitude when singing or shouting. The ability to produce high quality tracheoesophageal speech from the immediate postoperative period improves quality of life and expedites the overall rehabilitation after total laryngectomy.
Mendelsohn
M
M
Department of Otolaryngology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
Morris
M
M
Gallagher
R
R
D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007825:Laryngectomy / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013071:Speech, Alaryngeal; D013689:Telephone