'The holiday plug': a temporary solution to the problem of the leaking voice prosthesis

Tracheo-oesophageal prostheses are commonly inserted in patients following total laryngectomy to improve the quality of the voice. Unfortunately the device eventually fails and requires replacement. A valve change, although well tolerated by patients, necessitates an out-patient visit and delay in its replacement can lead to problems of pneumonia or dehydration. In this short paper we describe a simple temporary solution for a leaking valve and recommend its use in patients who are delayed in returning to the unit for example when on holiday.