Abstract

During the past 14 years the tracheoesophageal (TE) shunt operation has been performed on 207 patients, and 172 patients (83%) retained fluent and intelligible speech with TE shunt. Out of 112 patients with the use of bilateral esophageal muscle flaps to avoid aspiration, 99 (88%) obtained the postoperative speech, while 73 of 95 patients (77%) with original technique obtained the postoperative speech.Out of 172 patients who had TE speech, 8 obtained voice capability with esophageal speech and the vibratory source during phonation with esophageal voice was located at hypopharynx as well as with TE speech. As far as the swallowing function is concerned, the patients with the use of bilateral esophageal muscle flaps had significantly less aspiration than those with the original technique.