Further experience with botox injection for tracheoesophageal speech failure

✍ Scribed by Jan S. Lewin; Julie K. Bishop-Leone; Arthur D. Forman; Eduardo M. Diaz Jr

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2001
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 98 KB
• Volume: 23
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1043-3074
• DOI: 10.1002/hed.1059

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Background

Some patients fail to acquire tracheoesophageal (TE) speech after laryngectomy because of pharyngeal constrictor hypertonicity. Botox injection relieves hypertonicity, but there are little objective data regarding outcomes, duration of effect, and reinjection rates.

Methods

Hypertonicity was identified by means of insufflation testing and confirmed videofluoroscopically in 23 unsuccessful TE speakers. Each patient received an EMG‐guided Botox injection. Additional injections were offered if the first injection failed to produce fluent speech.

Results

Overall, 20 of 23 patients (87%) achieved fluent TE speech production after Botox injections; 5 after additional injections. Two patients declined further intervention, and 1 failed to achieve fluent TE speech production even after 3 Botox injections. The longest sustained effect was 37 months, the shortest was 5 months for 1 patient who required reinjection of Botox to maintain her TE speech production.

Conclusions

Botox injection relieves constrictor hypertonicity in selected cases of TE speech failure with little need for reinjection to maintain long‐term speech success. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 23: 456–460 2001.