[Voice rehabilitation from the viewpoint of the laryngectomized patient. Results of a patient survey].

105 of 292 patients who had been laryngectomised at the Zentralkrankenhaus Bremen, between 1975 and 1990, were asked retrospectively by questionnaires concerning the state of their voice rehabilitation. 66.6% of them had learnt oesophageal speech, 36.2% used an external vibrator, and 9.4% a voice prosthesis (since 1985). 82.8% used only one kind of substitute (non-laryngeal) speech. If patients used more than one non-laryngeal speech pattern, the most frequent combination was oesophageal speech and an external vibrator. The most rapid voice rehabilitation was achieved by patients using a voice prosthesis (71.3% within six weeks). In the same period of time, 45.5% of the patients learnt to use the electronic voice aid, and only 16.1% learnt oesophageal speech. It took a whole year before all patient who eventually used oesophageal speech, had learned to handle it. Ambulant speech therapy was the predominant treatment leading to voice rehabilitation, followed by the support given by self-aid groups. A comparison of the various non-laryngeal speech patterns with regard to daily communication problems, and of the general satisfaction achieved with the type of non-laryngeal speech used, showed quantitative predominance of oesophageal speech as a positively rated method for voice restoration, even though a clear trend towards increased use of the voice prosthesis since its introduction is noticeable.