Acoustic and aerodynamic parameters of speech after laryngectomy and the Staffieri procedure

The voice obtained with the Staffieri method of surgical voice rehabilitation after total laryngectomy was studied in 20 subjects and objectively described in terms of selected acoustic and aerodynamic parameters. Intensity and frequency, pressure and airflow were studied during sustained phonation of the vowel 'a'. Simultaneous recordings showed a relationship between intensity and between fundamental frequency, pressure and airflow in most of the subjects. As the subjects in the present study were not able to produce a vowel at target intensities and frequencies, the data were interpolated to 65 dB (A) intensity level for comparison purposes. We found no indication that from an acoustical and aerodynamical point of view, the Staffieri procedure should be preferred over other alaryngeal voice production methods.