[Tracheoesophageal prostheses].

The AA. report their own experience in the field of tracheoesophageal speech rehabilitation of laryngectomees. In order to get a high rate of successful results, (an accurate selection of patients is of fundamental importance) mainly to identify the physical requirements and the motivational aspects potentially favouring vocal, rehabilitation. The personal technique of tracheoesophageal fistula creation under local anesthesia is illustrated, the procedure generally last 5-10 minutes with minimal tissue trauma and blood loss and is also suitable for outpatients. For the above-mentioned reasons, the AA. prefer to perform the tracheoesophageal puncture as a secondary procedure, i.e., after total laryngectomy, taking into account the many inconveniences related to primary rehabilitation, as reported in literature. Finally, advantages and inconveniences of the various types of prosthetic devices employed are illustrated and the causes of failure are discusses.