Deterioration of olfaction and gustation as a consequence of total laryngectomy

After total laryngectomy the absence of a nasal airflow results in a decrease in olfaction and perception of flavors.

Odor perception was assessed in 63 laryngectomized patients with two different olfactory tests. The methods used by patients to smell were observed during olfactory testing. Patients' judgment about their olfaction and gustation was assessed by means of a structured questionnaire, semistructured interview, and self-rating.

Based on the results of the olfactory tests, patients were categorized as "smellers" and "nonsmellers." Approximately one third of the patients were able to smell the odorous substances used in the olfactory tests. The smellers more often used a variety of methods to smell than the nonsmellers (P < .002); in most patients the method consisted of active use of facial muscles. Patients appeared well able to judge their own odor perception. Compared with the smellers, the nonsmellers judged their odor perception as worse (P < .003) and reported a more severe decrease in gustation after the operation (P < .033). The results of this study in laryngectomized patients confirm the interrelation between olfaction and gustation: the nonsmellers reported a poorer gustation and a more severe decrease in gustation and appetite than both the smellers and a reference group of elderly persons (P < .05). Patients who reported a deterioration of olfaction and gustation tended to experience negative consequences such as the inability to smell smoke, leaking gas, or agreeable odors.

Olfaction and odor-related flavor sensation are seriously deteriorated after total laryngectomy.