Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026

Minimally Invasive Murine Laryngoscopy for Close-Up Imaging of Laryngeal Motion During Breathing and Swallowing
Published on: December 1, 2023
Speech rehabilitation during the first year after total laryngectomy
Susanne Singer1, Dorit Wollbrück, Andreas Dietz
1University of Leipzig, Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Leipzig, Germany; University of Mainz, Division of Epidemiology and Health Services Research, Germany.
Background:
Gaining a new voice is one of the major aims after total laryngectomy. The objective of this study was to describe the process and results of speech rehabilitation during the first year after surgery.
Methods:
Speech intelligibility was measured 6 months (n = 273) and 1 year (n = 225) after total laryngectomy.
Results:
Objective (23.4 to 47.5 points, p < .0001) and subjective (51.6 to 64.7 points, p < .0001) speech intelligibility improved between 6 months and 1 year after total laryngectomy. Patients who used tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP) had the best results in speech intelligibility 6 months and 1 year after total laryngectomy. In all, 12% of the patients who used TEP initially no longer used it 1 year later. Patients who had received rehabilitation had better objective speech intelligibility than those who did not.
Conclusions:
Speech improves considerably between 6 months and 1 year after total laryngectomy. Nonattendance of rehabilitation is associated with a worse functional outcome in speech rehabilitation.
Related Concept Videos
Larynx
Anatomy of the Larynx
The larynx consists of various components, including cartilage, muscles, and vocal cords. Its structure includes three large unpaired cartilages—the thyroid, cricoid, and epiglottis—and three smaller paired cartilages—the arytenoids, corniculates, and...
Tracheostomy Care II: Procedure
Step 1: Perform hand hygiene, and put on personal protective equipment: gown, gloves, mask and...
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation V: Advanced Airway Management Techniques
Tracheostomy Suctioning II: Procedure
Tracheostomy Decannulation
Description of the Procedure
Decannulation refers to the permanent removal of the tracheostomy tube, signaling the resolution of the condition that initially necessitated the tracheostomy. The process requires a well-coordinated interplay between...
Tracheostomy: Procedure and Tubes
Tracheostomy tubes can be made of semiflexible plastic (polyurethane or silicone), rigid plastic, or metal, and they come in...
