ORIGINAL ARTICLE ASSESSMENT OF ALARYNGEAL SPEECH USING A SOUND-PRODUCING VOICE PROSTHESIS IN RELATION TO SEX AND PHARYNGOESOPHAGEAL SEGMENT TONICITY M. van der Torn, MD,1 C. D. L. van Gogh, MD,1 I. M. Verdonck-de Leeuw, PhD,1 J. M. Festen, PhD,1 G. J. Verkerke, PhD,2 H. F. Mahieu, PhD1 1 Department of Otolaryngology/Head & Neck Surgery, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, P. O. Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands. E-mail:
[email protected] 2 Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands Accepted 23 August 2005 Published online 9 February 2006 in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/hed.20355 Keywords: laryngectomy; artificial larynx; voice prosthesis; Abstract: Background. A pneumatic artificial sound source alaryngeal speech; voice incorporated in a regular tracheoesophageal shunt valve may improve alaryngeal voice quality. Methods. In 20 laryngectomees categorized for sex and pharyngoesophageal segment tonicity, a prototype sound-pro- Total laryngectomy, as surgical treatment for ducing voice prosthesis (SPVP) is evaluated for a brief period and compared with their regular tracheoesophageal shunt locally advanced laryngeal tumors, interferes speech. with all functions of the larynx (ie, phonation, res- Results. Perceptual voice evaluation by an expert listener piration, deglutition, and indirectly olfaction). and acoustical analysis demonstrate a uniform rise of vocal pitch The most persistent problems of patients with lar- when using the SPVP. Female laryngectomees with an atonic yngectomies are related to the loss of voice.1,2 It is pharyngoesophageal segment gain vocal strength with the SPVP. Exerted tracheal pressure and airflow rate are equivalent generally acknowledged that rapid and effective to those required for regular tracheoesophageal shunt valves.