Phonatory function following esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Quality of life can be adversely affected in many patients who suffer phonation disorders such as hoarseness and dysphonia following esophagectomy. The present study investigated postoperative phonation disorders in 15 patients who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.


METHODS
None of the patients had signs of hoarseness before or after surgery. Aerodynamic testing to assess phonatory function testing and laryngoscopy for observing laryngeal movements were performed before and after surgery. As a control, the same tests were conducted in 20 patients treated for gastric cancer by gastrectomy.


RESULTS
For esophagectomy patients, mean postoperative flow rate was significantly increased and maximum postoperative phonation time was significantly decreased after operation. Laryngoscopy confirmed postoperative paralysis of left laryngeal movements and excessive adduction of the right, unaffected vocal cord during phonation in 8 of 15 esophagectomy patients, although hoarseness was not reported by any patient. No significant changes were observed for mean postoperative flow rate or maximum postoperative phonation time following surgery in gastrectomy patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Surgical procedures in the vicinity of the recurrent laryngeal nerve appear to be the cause of postoperative phonation disorders in patients undergoing esophagectomy for esophageal cancer, and these disorders can occur in the absence of symptoms such as hoarseness and dysphonia.
Inami
Naokuni
N
Third Department of Surgery, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Sato
Hironobu
H
Makiyama
Kiyoshi
K
Song
Keio
K
Murayama
Isao
I
Takayama
Tadatoshi
T
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D016629:Esophagectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006685:Hoarseness / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007828:Laryngoscopy; D008297:Male; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011788:Quality of Life; D012009:Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology