Primary mode of communication for people with total laryngectomy in the UK: a cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Abstract Objective This study aimed to report on the UK rate of surgical voice restoration usage and investigate the factors that influence its uptake. Method A national multicentre audit of people with total laryngectomy was completed over a six-month period (March to September 2020) in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. This study is a secondary analysis of the data collected, focusing on the primary communication methods used by people with total laryngectomy. Results Data on surgical voice restoration were available for 1196 people with total laryngectomy; a total of 852 people with total laryngectomy (71 per cent) used surgical voice restoration. Another type of communication method was used by 344 people. The factors associated with surgical voice restoration in the multiple regression analysis were sex (p = 0.003), employment (employed vs not employed, p < 0.001) and time post-laryngectomy (p < 0.001). Conclusion This study provides an important benchmark for the current status of surgical voice restoration usage across the UK. It found that 71 per cent of people with total laryngectomy used surgical voice restoration as their primary communication method.