[Treatment of voice prosthesis leakage. Preliminary results]

Numerous voice prostheses have been developed since the early eighties. The device, located in the tracheo-esophageal wall, can generate local complications. The most frequent and the hardest to treat is peri-prosthetic salivary leakage.

To present a new management scheme for peri-prosthetic salivary leakage by BIOPLASTIQUE injection.

Five patients, with residual peri-prosthetic salivary leakage after different treatments were managed by peri-prosthetic injection of BIOPLASTIQUE, a medical silicone elastomere. The injection was performed under general anesthesia in four points around the prosthesis: above, below, left and right.

Leakage disappeared after one or two injections in all patients. No technical problem was encountered.

Although this method still has to pass the test of time, our preliminary results are encouraging. Such a procedure could be performed under local anesthesia in order to minimize its cost.