Management of voice prosthesis leakage with Blom-Singer large esophage and tracheal flange voice prostheses

SummaryIntroductionVoice 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-oesophageal puncture is a frequent complication and can be difficult to manage.Material and methodA prospective study was conducted from November 2010 to October 2011 on 28 Blom-Singer large oesophageal and tracheal flange voice prostheses placed in 18 patients with enlarged tracheo-oesophageal puncture causing leakage around the voice prosthesis.ResultLeakage 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.ConclusionThe Blom-Singer large oesophageal 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.