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Automatic speaking valve in tracheo-esophageal speech: treatment proposal for a widespread usage

  • Head and Neck
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

Aim of this study was to calculate the percentage of the Automatic Speaking Valve (ASV) use in a large cohort of laryngectomized patients with voice prosthesis (VP) and to analyze the main reasons for non-use. Subsequently, a specific rehabilitation training was proposed.

Methods

One hundred-ten laryngectomized patients with VP were enrolled in the first phase of the study (census). Among them, 57 patients were included in the second phase (intervention), in which a training based on moving phonatory exercises was proposed. Structured questionnaires were used before and after training in order to investigate ASV use rate (days/week and hours/day; reasons for impeding the ASV use), average adhesive life-time during ASV use; hands-free speech duration; skin irritation. Patients also expressed their degree of on a VAS scale from 0 to 100.

Results

In the census phase the percentage of use of ASV (everyday, without problems) was equal to 17.27% (19/110 patients). The main causes of disuse concerned excessive fatigue and poor durability of the adhesives. The analysis of the results pre vs. post-training showed a statistically significant increase (p < 0.05) in all the investigated parameters. Patients reported a good level of treatment compliance (average frequency of performing exercises equal to 4.2 ± 2.5 days/week for 1.4 ± 1.01 h/day) and high degrees of satisfaction. After treatment, the percentage of use of AVS increased by 43% reaching a rate of 60% (66/110 patients).

Conclusion

A specific and targeted approach that simulate the phonatory and breathing difficulties of everyday life can increase the ASV usage rate.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unità Operativa Complessa di Otorinolaringoiatria, Dipartimento Scienze dell’InvecchiamentoNeurologicheOrtopediche e della Testa-Collo, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, L.go Agostino Gemelli 8, Roma, Italia

    Ylenia Longobardi, Lucia D’Alatri, Giorgia Mari, Maria Elisabetta Marenda, Maria Raffaella Marchese, Jacopo Galli & Claudio Parrilla

  2. Sezione di Otorinolaringoiatria, Dipartimento Universitario Testa-collo e organi di senso, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italia

    Lucia D’Alatri & Jacopo Galli

  3. Rome, Italy

    Valentina Francesca Brandi

Authors
  1. Ylenia Longobardi
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  2. Lucia D’Alatri
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  3. Valentina Francesca Brandi
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  4. Giorgia Mari
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  5. Maria Elisabetta Marenda
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  6. Maria Raffaella Marchese
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  7. Jacopo Galli
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  8. Claudio Parrilla
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Contributions

Ylenia Longobardi and Claudio Parrilla designed the work. Ylenia Longobardi, Valentina Francesca Brandi, Giorgia Mari, Maria Raffaella Marchese and Maria Elisabetta Marenda acquired and analysed data. Ylenia Longobardi. Lucia D’Alatri and Claudio Parrilla drafted and all authors revised the manuscript. Jacopo Galli approved the final version.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lucia D’Alatri.

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Conflict of interest

All Authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The “Comitato Etico Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS—Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore” approved this study (ID 4650).

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Longobardi, Y., D’Alatri, L., Brandi, V.F. et al. Automatic speaking valve in tracheo-esophageal speech: treatment proposal for a widespread usage. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 281, 3197–3205 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-024-08605-0

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