Phonosurgical Injection Approaches for Voice Restoration After Open Partial Horizontal Laryngectomies: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Open partial horizontal laryngectomies (OPHLs) can lead to unsatisfactory voice outcomes despite speech therapy.
• Voice restoration is crucial for patients with persistent phonatory deficits post-laryngectomy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of phonosurgical corrective approaches for voice restoration.
• To assess injection laryngoplasty and pharyngoplasty followed by speech therapy in OPHL patients.

Main Methods:

• Ten patients with Type II or III OPHLs and poor voice quality were enrolled.
• Phonosurgery involved injection laryngoplasty/pharyngoplasty using hyaluronic acid and/or calcium hydroxyapatite.
• Voice outcomes were assessed pre-treatment, and at 1 and 3 months post-surgery using acoustic, aerodynamic, perceptual, laryngoscopic, and self-assessment evaluations.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed across all evaluation metrics (acoustic, perceptual, aerodynamic, laryngoscopic, self-assessment).
• Voice quality and function showed marked enhancement following the phonosurgical intervention and speech therapy.

Conclusions:

• Phonosurgical injection procedures combined with speech therapy are effective for voice restoration in selected OPHL patients.
• This approach offers a viable solution for improving voice quality after specific types of laryngectomies.