Speech and swallowing outcomes following oral cavity reconstruction

Abstract

Purpose of review: This review explores speech and swallowing outcomes following oral cavity reconstruction for treatment of head and neck cancer, with focus on articles published within 2015-2016.

Recent findings: There is limited recent evidence that explores functional outcomes following oral cavity surgery in the literature; therefore, an overview of the literature describing surgical interventions and their associated functional outcomes is timely.

Summary: We discuss the challenges associated with achieving adequate surgical margins, alongside optimal functional outcomes. The correlation between the size, site and type of reconstruction with speech and swallowing function are described, along with novel surgical and therapeutic interventions that may reduce treatment morbidity and have the potential to impact positively on quality of life.