Application of high-speed videoendoscopy in laryngectomy patients – a review of the literature

Abstract

Total laryngectomy is surgical removal of the entire larynx and is performed in cases of advanced larynx cancer. There are three methods of restoring voice after total laryngectomy: electrolaryngeal voice, esophageal voice, or tracheoesophageal voice with voice prosthesis where mucosa of pharyngoesophageal segment is the source of voice production. The acoustic analysis of alaryngeal voice is gold standard in assessing the voice quality in patients after total laryngectomy. Unfortunately, by using videostroboscopy, standard diagnostic procedure for visual analysis of vocal mucosa vibratory behavior, it is not possible to visualize and measure vibrations of pharyngoesophageal segment. High-speed videoendoscopy has proven to be the optimal method for visual recording of vibratory movement of the mucosa of pharyngoesophageal segment. By reviewing the current literature we provided a detailed insight into application of high-speed videoendoscopy in the analysis of phonatory behavior of pharyngoesophageal segment in laryngectomized patients.

Keywords

• laryngectomy; speech
• alaryngeal; speech