Voice Rehabilitation after Total Laryngectomy

Abstract

Despite the expansion of non-surgical organ preservation therapy, total laryngectomy is the optimal treatment for advanced laryngeal or hypopharyngeal cancer and is widely used treatment option for failure of chemoradiotherapy or recurrence of primary tumor. As a consequence of total laryngectomy, patients lose their natural voice and needs practice to acquire a new voice. Tracheoesophageal speech, esophageal speech and electrolarynx speech are main speech rehabilitation methods which are commonly provided after total laryngectomy. Worldwide, no evidence-based consensus exists on which voice rehabilitation method is best for improving the patient's quality of life. Therefore, this review aims to summarize the current voice rehabilitation and management of voice prosthesis after total laryngectomy.