Management of Voice Prosthesis Leakage with Blom-Singer Large Esophageal and Tracheal Flange Voice Prostheses

Abstract

Objectives: Voice rehabilitation after total laryngectomy is a major socio-economic challenge. Voice rehabilitation can be achieved by voice prostheses, which provide rapid patient satisfaction. Enlarged tracheo-esophageal puncture is a frequent complication and can be difficult to manage. Methods: A prospective study was conducted from November 2010 to October 2011 on 28 Blom-Singer large esophageal and tracheal flange voice prostheses placed in 18 patients with enlarged tracheo-esophageal puncture, causing leakage around the voice prosthesis. Results: Leakage around the voice prosthesis resolved in all patients with a mean prosthesis lifespan of 95 days. The patients considered voice quality to be similar to that obtained with the initial voice prosthesis. Conclusions: The Blom-Singer large esophageal and tracheal flange voice prosthesis is a useful solution for the management of periprosthetic leakage, ensuring similar voice quality and an identical lifespan to that of other voice prostheses.