Report: Voice box prostheses may only last three months

(Reuters) – Tracheoesophageal voice prosthetic devices often last less than 3 months before they need to be replaced, which is a shorter lifespan than previously reported, according to a new study. “In an ideal setting, voice prostheses should last at least six months and even more ideally, up to one year,” said lead author Jan S. Lewin of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. “In reality, they generally last somewhere about three months before they have to be replaced.” The silicone devices are placed in the shared wall between the trachea and the esophagus after a laryngectomy, the removal of the voice box due to cancer, injury or radiation damage. The voice prosthesis allows air to travel from the lungs to the esophagus, which would not usually happen, vibrating tissues of the lower throat to produce a voice. The devices do require periodic replacement, which varies by patient, according to manufacturers. Some devices are indwelling and must be placed by a clinician, while patients can place a new nonindwelling device themselves. That the voice prostheses don’t last as long as they once did is “unfortunate, but not surprising when one considers the significant effects from the intensification of our cancer treatment regimens on our patients’ bodies,” Lewin said. The researchers observed 390 laryngectomized patients who were treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center between 2003 and 2013. The 390 patients had 3,648 devices placed an...
Source: Mass Device - Category: Medical Equipment Authors: Tags: Clinical Trials Implants Otolaryngology Ear, Nose & Throat Source Type: news