Abstract
This report examines oropharyngeal swallowing disorders by measuring laryngeal and pharyngeal movement during swallowing. Videofluorographic studies of oropharyngeal swallowing in four patients who had undergone supraglottic or supracricoid laryngectomy were conducted. In the early postoperative stage, all patients had reduced laryngeal elevation, and aspiration was observed in the ascending stage of the larynx. The main therapy regimen consisted of breath-holding maneuvers. From 16 days to 46 days postoperatively, after breath-holding therapy, all patients had reduced residue in the pharynx and no aspiration was observed. The use of breath-holding maneuvers produced some degree of change in hyoid bone position in all patients before swallowing; prolonged duration of laryngeal elevation was observed in all patients during swallowing. These results indicate that swallowing therapy after supraglottic or supracricoid laryngectomy should focus on techniques such as breath-holding maneuvers that induce improvements in vertical laryngeal position before and during swallowing to close the airway entrance and improve bolus propulsion.
