State of the art: Rehabilitation of speech and swallowing after total laryngectomy

Abstract

Despite the development and expansion of non-surgical organ preservation therapy, total laryngectomy continues to be the optimal therapy for far-advanced local disease and the only curative option for radiotherapy failures not amenable to partial laryngeal procedures. Laryngectomy, however, remains a life-altering operation with profound effects on swallowing and speech. In the nearly 150 years since the first total laryngectomy was performed, few ablative aspects have changed, but reconstructive techniques have undergone radical evolution. This review will trace the origins of laryngeal rehabilitation for voice and swallowing, the current state of the art with attention to pre-treatment considerations and post-operative management, current surgical management techniques, and the future of functional laryngeal reconstruction.

Keywords: Laryngeal cancer; Reconstruction; Rehabilitation; Swallowing; Tracheoesophageal speech.