A new self-administered questionnaire to determine patient experience with voice prostheses (Blom-Singer valves).
OBJECTIVE
To obtain information about valved speech and related issues in patients who have undergone total laryngectomy with the help of a new structured questionnaire on voice prosthesis.


METHODS
A questionnaire-based pilot study set at a tertiary referral head and neck cancer unit.


METHODS
Twenty-five patients using voice prostheses, who showed no signs of recurrence after having undergone total laryngectomy were interviewed with the help of a questionnaire that assessed issues such as voice quality, valve maintenance, leakage, quality of life, humidification and hands-free system over the preceding seven days. The data was analyzed using non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney and Spearman rank).


RESULTS
Twenty-five patients (16 males) with a median age of 65 years (IQ range: 59-70 years) had been using the prosthesis for a median of 6 years (IQ range: 5-10 years). The majority of the patients (n=20) were fully informed about their valve size and diameter and most were able to remove and replace their own prosthesis. Fourteen patients (60%) had leakage-related issues. Women were less satisfied with their voice quality as compared to men. Overall, there appeared to be an improvement in quality of life with the use of the voice prosthesis.


CONCLUSIONS
The subjects were fairly well informed about their valve and experienced a high level of satisfaction with their voice. This questionnaire serves as a valuable tool for monitoring voice rehabilitation in patients who have undergone laryngectomy.
Kazi
R
R
Department of Royal Marsden Hospital, Fulham Road, London, SW3 6JJ, United Kingdom.
Singh
A
A
De Cordova
J
J
Clarke
P
P
Harrington
K
K
Rhys-Evans
Peter
P
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007825:Laryngectomy; D007831:Larynx, Artificial; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D014833:Voice Quality