[Oropharyngeal functional evaluation in patients subjected to total laryngectomy with phonatory prosthesis....

Our goal in this paper is to evaluate the motor function of the oropharinx using esophageal manometry and isotopic study, in patients that underwent total laryngectomy (TL) with phonatory prosthesis (PP), and with or without cricopharyngeal myotomy (CM). 50 por 100 of the laryngectomized patients showed oropharyngeal dysphagia, more frequent and stronger in patients without CM. Voice quality was considered good or medium in 12/20. With manometry we achieve that after TL there is an intense pressure reduction of the UES, higher in patients with CM, there aren't differences for other manometrics parameters. The oropharyngeal isotopic clearance is clearly disturbed in all patients, there aren't differences due to the type of surgery, neither the degree of dysphagia nor the CM. The association of a CM to PL plus PP is a surgical procedure that improves markedly the manometric and clinic results in these patients.