[Surgical treatment for the chronic severe aspiration].

Objective: To find out the best surgical treatment for chronic severe aspiration with different pathogenesis.

Method: Eight patients with severe aspiration were treated by 3 surgical methods. Six of 8 cases were perfomed tracheotomy. The cannula had a gasbag and the gasbag was inflated before eating food every time. Epiglottic flap closure for one patient with intractable aspiration. Stomach-stomy for the case with tracheoasophageal fistula.

Result: There did not found aspiratory pneumonia in all cases after following up for 9 months to 4.5 years. The six cases with tracheotomy could eating normally and their phonation were reserved. Only one case has a slight aspiration. The patient with epiglottic flap closure hadn't aspirated when eating. The stomach-stomy could prevent the aspiration in having meal.

Conclusion: Tracheotomy, epiglottic flap closure and stomach-stomy are all the effective surgical treatment for chronic severe aspiration. Any of 3 surgical methods should be selected according to the etiology, the degree of aspiration and the patient's condition, so as to improve the quality of the patient's life.