European Society of Anaesthesiology.

Voice alterations are frequent after thyroidectomy even with preserved vocal fold mobility. Such alterations were more frequently detected in that group than in patients who underwent breast surgery. Orotracheal intubation is just one of the multiple factors involved.

BRAZ DAS et al. Quality of life and depression in patients undergoing total and partial laryngectomy. CLINICS 60(2):135-142, 2005. PURPOSE: The surgical treatment of head and neck cancer, primarily laryngeal cancer, causes sequelae and can change the patient´s quality of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of laryngectomy on the quality of life regarding the functional, physical, psychological, and social aspects. METHODS: Fourteen patients underwent total laryngectomy and 16 underwent vertical partial laryngectomy. The Quality of Life Core Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) and Head and Neck (H&N35) questionnaire from the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) were used for quality of life evaluation, while the Beck Depression Inventory questionnaire was used for the depression screen. RESULTS: In the total laryngectomy group, reported adverse effects were worsened, social and emotional function (21.3%), olfaction and taste changes (85.6%), cough (71.3%), speech difficulty (100%), and dysphagia (64.3%). Most of the patients (85.5%) judged their quality of life to be reasonable. In the partial laryngectomy group, reported adverse effects were worsened, emotional function (71.4%), speech difficulty (100%), and dysphagia (31.3%). However, most of the patients judged their quality of life to be above the general average. CONCLUSION: Despite being different surgeries, both groups experienced similar difficulties but at different levels. The quality of life was judged worse in the patients who underwent total laryngectomy.

Laryngeal preservation resulted in voice and swallowing abnormalities, but they tend to be mild to moderate, allowing intelligible communication and efficient swallowing in most patients.

OBJETIVO: Investigar as contribuições da fonoterapia na voz, na deglutição e na qualidade de vida de pacientes com alteração unilateral de mobilidade de prega vocal. MÉTODOS: Os sujeitos foram 13 pacientes, de ambos os sexos, com alteração unilateral de mobilidade de prega vocal. Foi realizado um levantamento da história clínica, dos dados de avaliação pré e pós-fonoterapia e da qualidade de vida dos mesmos a partir dos prontuários, das fitas de exame e das gravações de exames. RESULTADOS: Após a intervenção fonoaudiológica foi possível observar: nove pacientes apresentaram melhora da qualidade vocal após fonoterapia; todos os pacientes apresentaram melhora em pelo menos um parâmetro da avaliação acústica; dez pacientes apresentaram classificação dentro dos limites de normalidade em relação à escala de severidade da disfagia e nove em relação à escala de penetração/aspiração; seis pacientes referiram menor desvantagem vocal; nove pacientes referiram menor impacto da disfagia na qualidade de vida. CONCLUSÃO: Os resultados apontam melhoras na voz, na deglutição, na limitação vocal e na qualidade de vida relacionada à deglutição após fonoterapia. Pode-se dizer que a fonoterapia parece ser efetiva na melhora da voz, da deglutição, do nível de desvantagem vocal e da qualidade de vida em deglutição de pacientes com alterações na mobilidade das pregas vocais.

Dysphagi a can be a consequence of total laryngectomy even in the absence of symptoms and it could indeed directly or indirectly compromise quality of life. Aim: To evaluate the characteristics of swallowing after total laryngectomy and pharyngolaryngectomy with pharyngeal T closure, correlating them with the Quality of Life in Swallowing Disorders questionnaire. Methods: A prospective evaluation was performed in 28 patients; fifteen undergoing total laryngectomy and thirteen undergoing total pharyngolaryngectomy. Swallowing was evaluated through videofluoroscopy regarding the preparatory, oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing, and the quality of life related to swallowing questionnaire was employed to measure quality of life. Results: Anatomical and functional changes were observed under videofluoroscopic evaluation. Dysphagia was diagnosed in 18 patients (64.3%), being mild in 66.6% and moderate/severe in 33.3%. The questionnaire indicated good quality of life in almost all scales. Complaints of dysphagia were associated to the burden (p=0.036) and mental health scale (p=0.031). The questionnaire indicated impact on the mental health scale for patients with severe dysphagia (p=0.012). Conclusions: High incidence of dysphagia was observed in some quality of life assessments, especially of mild degree.

Os grandes avanços na compreensão da fisiologia vocal e o desenvolvimento científico e tecnológico na área de voz permitiram transpor o limite terapêutico através dos meios para a detecção precoce de alterações vocais. Objetivo: Avaliar indivíduos sem queixa vocal e correlacionar possíveis achados telelaringo-estroboscópicos, perceptivo-auditivos e acústicos. Forma de Estudo: Observacional coorte com corte transversal. Casuística e Méto-do: Foram avaliados 21 indivíduos do sexo masculino, com idade variando de 20 a 50 e mediana de 33 anos, sem queixas vocais, que não faziam uso de tabaco nem de destilados. Os sujeitos foram submetidos às avaliações telelaringo-estroboscópica, perceptivoauditiva e acústica da voz. Resultados: Do total de sujeitos avaliados, 57,15% apresentaram alteração em uma ou mais das avaliações realizadas. À telelaringo-estroboscopia, observou-se fenda vocal triangular posterior em 4 sujeitos. Dez apresentaram alteração na análise perceptivo-auditiva, observando-se os seguintes parâmetros: instabilidade, rouquidão e soprosidade, todos em grau discreto. Na avaliação da ressonância, três apresentaram cada foco hipernasal, cul de sac e laringo-faríngea. A avaliação acústica apresentou as seguintes médias: f0 -125,69 Hz; jitter -0,22%; shimmer -3,06%; NNE -12,29 dB; HNR -20,75 dB; freqüência do tremor -2,09 Hz; amplitude do tremor -1,16 Hz. Alguns sujeitos apresentaram valores de shimmer% e freqüência do tremor maiores do que a média. Conclusão: Foram detectadas alterações em 57,15% das avaliações realizadas em indivíduos sem queixas vocais. Esses achados podem ser indicativos de uma variação da normalidade ou representar uma predisposição a alterações glóticas e vocais que, com o passar do tempo, podem desenvolver-se. Em todas as avaliações alteradas houve alteração de parâmetro acústico. The great progress in understanding the vocal physiology and the scientific and technological development in the voice area allow transposing the therapeutic limit through the means for the precocious detection of vocal changes. Objective: to evaluate subjects without vocal complaint, and to correlate possible videostroboscopic, perceptual and acoustic analysis finding. Study Design: Observacional cohort with transversal cut. Patients and Methods: 21 men without vocal complaints were studied. Their ages ranged from 20 to 50 with median of 33. They were neither alcohol nor smoke users. The subjects underwent the videostroboscopic, perceptual and acoustic evaluations. Results: 57.15% of the subjects presented any alteration in one or more of the evaluated aspects. In the videostroboscopy it was observed posterior triangular gap in 4 subjects. Ten subjects presented a mild grade alteration in the perceptual analysis, in instability, hoarseness and breathiness parameters. Three subjects presented respectively hipernasal, cul de sac and pharyngolaryngeal resonance focus. The acoustic evaluation presented the following averages: f0 -125.69 Hz; jitter -0.22%; shimmer -3.06%; NNE --12.29 dB; HNR -20.75 dB; tremor freq...

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of swallowing in patients who were enrolled in voice, speech, and swallowing rehabilitation after undergoing a partial or total glossectomy. An increase in oral transit time was detected in all patients. Only 2 of the 10 patients who underwent a total glossectomy had persistent asymptomatic aspiration.