Evaluation of the effects of primary myotomy in total laryngectomy on the neoglottis with the use of quantitative videofluoroscopy.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the influence of primary myotomy on characteristics of the neoglottis in patients after laryngectomy.

DESIGN

Patient survey.

SETTING

University Medical Center St Radboud, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

PATIENTS: Nineteen consecutive patients who underwent laryngectomy (12 with primary lateral myotomy of the upper esophageal sphincter [marked by metal clips]; 7 not requiring myotomy [according to intraoperative palpation]).

INTERVENTIONS: Videofluoroscopy.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Visual assessments and quantitative measures of the neoglottis were used to study the relationships between myotomy, and anatomic and morphologic characteristics of the neoglottis.

RESULTS

Quantitative measurements showed no difference between the neoglottic characteristics of the patients with (n = 12) and without (n = 7) myotomy, who were all judged to have moderate (n = 4) or good (n = 15) voice quality. Results for the entire patient group during phonation showed only 1 single neoglottic bar, no hypertonicity of the neoglottis, and a significant shortening of the neoglottic bar (P =.007). Results for the myotomy group during phonation showed elevation of the caudal clip (P =.046), shortening of the myotomy (P =.01), and decreased overlap of the cranial clip and the neoglottic bar (P =.007). Furthermore, significant relationships were found between the various quantitative measures of the neoglottis and those of the myotomy.

CONCLUSIONS

Quantitative videofluoroscopy enables study of the influence of myotomy on the anatomic and morphologic characteristics of the neoglottis. Our results suggest that a planned myotomy of the upper esophageal sphincter is beneficial when prosthetic voice rehabilitation is applied after total laryngectomy.