Olfactory function in laryngectomised patients: tracheo-oesophageal oesophageal speech.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate olfactory function in patients rehabilitated with oesophageal (ES) voice or tracheo-oesophageal (TES) prosthesis to further verify whether there were differences in smell alterations depending on voice rehabilitation modality.

Methods: A total of 40 patients who had undergone total laryngectomy participated in the study. Speech rehabilitation was achieved through TES in 20 patients (Group A) or ES in 20 patients (Group B).

Early Glottic Cancer Treated by Transoral Laser Surgery Using Toluidine Blue for the Definition of the Surgical Margins: A Pilot Study.

: Transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) is widely accepted for its advantages, which consist of a brief hospital stay, rapid functional recovery, low management costs and the fact that it can be easily repeated in cases of recurrence. However, a high incidence of positive or narrow surgical margins has been reported in the literature, even if controversy still exists on the prognostic significance of positive resection margins. The aim of the study was to evaluate the utility of toluidine blue staining in defining the resection margins of early glottic cancer (T1a-T2) treated with TLM.

Verbal performance of total laryngectomized patients rehabilitated with esophageal speech and tracheoesophageal speech: impacts on patient quality of life.

Introduction: Total laryngectomy has important psychophysical and social consequences for patients' quality of life because of the functional changes resulting from the removal of the larynx. Voice deprivation is perhaps the most relevant limiting factor in social relationships, increasing feelings of solitude and tending to drive individuals into social isolation. Multiple voice rehabilitation methods after total laryngectomy are available.