Current status of laryngectomee rehabilitation: II. Causes of failure

The study records of 47 laryngectomees were analyzed to determine the factors related to acquisition of failure to acquire esophageal speech and to successful or unsuccessful rehabilitation. The successful speakers wee able to phonate longer preoperatively, had less postoperative radiotherapy and dysphagia, took more speech instruction, and were more vigorous and tender-minded. Factors that correlated with successful rehabilitation were less postoperative radiotherapy, more vigor, greater imaginativeness, independence, and self-assuredness, and absence of denial.