MRI as an aid to the fitting of tracheo-oesophageal Blom–Singer valves post-laryngectomy

Abstract

The Blom-Singer valve is a device for facilitating speech in patients who have undergone total laryngectomy. The valve is inserted into a surgically created tracheo-oesophageal fistula. Fitting the valve and determining the correct length and direction of the fistula, although usually straightforward, can be difficult. We describe two patients in whom MR imaging of the fistula tract has aided valve fitting.