SPEECH QUALITY AFTER GLOSSECTOMY

Abstract

This study is an attempt to assess speech disability following glossectomy and primary reconstruction in patients vvith locally advanced carcinoma tongue. Twenty nine patients vvho undcrvvent glossectomy involving removal of 50% or more of the tongue followed by reconstruction were assessed using screening articulation tests, standardized passages, word lists and conversation samples in Kannada and tvlalayalanl languages. Objective quantification of speech was carried out by assessing the tvvo psychoa-coustic parameters, intelligibility and acceptability of speech. Intelligibility was calculated in percentage as the number of words intelligible to the listener from a prepared word list. Acceptability was rated on a one to five scale by the speech pathologists. This study revealed that intelligibility and acceptability were not always directly proportional to the amount of tongue removed. The other factors found to influence the intelligibility were preservation of the mandible and timing of radiotherapy in relation to surgery. This score gives us an objective index to assess the functional outcome of surgery.

Keywords

• Intelligibility
• Acceptability
• Speech Assessment
• Glossectomy