[Speech rehabilitation after laryngectomy, primary insertion of a speech ventilator]

During a period of three years, 30 patients were submitted to laryngectomy in our department. In 23 of these, primary tracho-oesophageal puncture had been performed and secondary puncture was performed in one patient. Fifteen of the prostheses were of the Blom Singer type and nine were Provox prostheses. Twenty-one patients learned to use the voice prosthesis and obtained fluent or understandable speech while three patients never used the prosthesis. Three patients subsequently abandoned the speech prosthesis and preferred to continue using oesophageal speech. Side effects were restricted to leakage around the prosthesis and slight stenosis in the pharyngo-oesophageal segment.