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A voice prosthesis (plural prostheses) is an artificial device, usually made of silicone that is used in conjunction with voice therapy to help laryngectomized patients to speak. During a total laryngectomy, the entire voice box is removed and the windpipe and food pipe are separated from each other. During this operation an opening between the ...
Indications include voice rehabilitation for patients who are undergoing a total laryngectomy (primary puncture) or patients who have had a total laryngectomy in the past (secondary puncture). Contra-indications are mainly related to the use of the voice prosthesis and not the puncture procedure itself. It is important to have healthy tissue at ...
After a total laryngectomy, the upper airways are bypassed and breathing in and out occurs through the tracheostoma in the neck which means that the inhaled air flows directly into the lungs. These anatomical changes lead, among others, to changes in voice production, breathing, and olfaction. The nasal functions of regulating the temperature ...
Laryngectomy is the removal of the larynx. In a total laryngectomy, the entire larynx is removed (including the vocal folds , hyoid bone , epiglottis , thyroid and cricoid cartilage and a few tracheal cartilage rings) with the separation of the airway from the mouth , nose and esophagus . [ 1 ]
Along with developing esophageal voice, using a speech synthesizer, or undergoing a surgical procedure, the electrolarynx serves as a mode of speech recovery for laryngectomy patients. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] The Voice Quality Symbol for electrolaryngeal phonation in speech is И, approximating the symbol for electricity.
This surgical procedure may occur during the laryngectomy (primary TEP) or after a period of time (secondary TEP). The prosthesis is placed approximately 10–14 days post operation by a certified speech language pathologist (SLP) who specializes in ENT work. During the placement of a prosthesis, the SLP measures the depth of the puncture ...
The device consists of a combination of HME and an automatic speaking valve. The valve closes automatically when exhaling air for speaking, enabling the pulmonary air to be diverted through the tracheoesophageal voice prosthesis into the esophagus. It reopens automatically when exhalation decreases.
Voice therapy consists of techniques and procedures that target vocal parameters, such as vocal fold closure, pitch, volume, and quality. This therapy is provided by speech-language pathologists and is primarily used to aid in the management of voice disorders, [1] or for altering the overall quality of voice, as in the case of transgender voice therapy.