Manofluorography of deglutition after supraglottic laryngectomy.

Manofluorography (mano: manometry, fluoro: videofluoroscopy, graphy: picture) provides a simultaneous display of manometry and fluoroscopy on one video screen. This study uses manofluorography to analyze the swallowing patterns of nine patients who had undergone supraglottic laryngectomy. The results show that during swallowing the pharyngeal mechanism for preventing aspiration depends upon three processes: (1) tight lingual-laryngeal contact, (2) coordination of the swallowing reflex, and (3) tongue base and pharyngeal constrictor clearing of the hypopharynx and laryngeal inlet. Anterior suspension of the larynx under the tongue base serves to improve lingual-laryngeal contact. This close contact during deglutition protects the airway from the bolus and also opens the postcricoid region, aiding bolus passage into the esophagus. Impairment of the swallowing reflex, which can cause severe aspiration before the swallowing reflex is triggered, can be rehabilitated by swallowing therapy. Minor aspiration is commonly caused by impaired clearing of the superior hypopharynx after supraglottic laryngectomy.

Examination of swallowing after total laryngectomy using manofluorography.

Investigation of postlaryngectomy dysphagia is usually limited to the standard barium swallow. Manofluorography (mano, manometry; fluoro, videofluoroscopy; graphy, picture) is a new technique that permits analysis of simultaneous manometry and videofluoroscopy of deglutition. Manofluorography provides more detailed analysis of the swallowing dynamics during the pharyngeal stage of deglutition than either barium studies or manometry used alone. This study uses manofluorography to examine swallowing in two patient groups, total laryngectomees and total laryngectomees with tongue impairment, to analyze the role of various anatomic components in the swallowing process. Pharyngeal transit times were prolonged in both patient groups studied, with the tongue impairment group exhibiting the longest times. The postlaryngectomy pharynx offered greater resistance to bolus flow. The laryngectomy patients compensated by using increased lingual propulsion, whereas the patients with tongue impairment and total laryngectomy could not. This emphasizes the importance of the tongue in bolus propulsion in the pharynx. Other postoperative changes in swallowing are discussed.

Reconstruction of cervical esophagus, hypopharynx and oral cavity using free jejunal transfer.

Experience with 22 cases of reconstruction of the cervical esophagus, hypopharynx and oral cavity using free jejunal transfer is presented. The method requires an experienced team with high technical competence, but the benefits related to rapid single-stage completion and low morbidity certainly justify its use.

Ten years experience with the free jejunal autograft.

Retrospective analysis by chart review, personal interview, and physical examination identified 88 patients who received 96 jejunal free flaps over a 10 year period. Seventy-nine of these patients had cancer. There were 13 operative failures (13.5 percent) in 10 patients. Failures were attributed to arterial thrombosis in four instances, venous anastomotic problems in four instances, fistula and infection in the neck in one instance, carotid blowout in one instance, psychosis with avulsion in one instance, and an unknown cause in two instances. Seven second attempts at salvage of jejunal flaps were performed with five successes. There were five deaths in the perioperative period (6 percent). Of these, one was directly attributed to graft failure. The following eight abdominal complications required operation: wound dehiscence (four instances), small bowel obstruction (one instance), Mallory-Weiss tear (one instance), gastrostomy tube leak (one instance), and acute gastric dilatation (one instance). Complications in the neck included infection (six instances), infection requiring operation (three instances), hematoma (three instances), and suture line dehiscence (one instance). Fistulas developed in 28 patients (32 percent), 12 of whom required operative closure (43 percent). Significant stenosis developed in six patients, two of whom required operative revision. Of 79 patients treated for cancer, 34 died from progression of disease which recurred an average of 9.7 months postoperatively. Death ensued an average of 16.7 months postoperatively. Ten patients died with no evidence of disease. At last follow-up, 28 patients were alive without apparent disease. Twenty-six of these patients have good swallowing function. Significant palliation and a high rate of restoration of function are possible with the free jejunal autograft. Careful patient selection should markedly decrease operative morbidity and mortality.

Analysis of pressure generation and bolus transit during pharyngeal swallowing.

Current pharyngeal deglutition theory has stressed the role of the pharyngeal constrictors as producing a peristaltic wave responsible for bolus propulsion through the pharynx. This thesis presents data obtained using manofluorography which supports the significance of tongue and laryngeal motion in swallowing. The usage of the term peristalsis to describe the constrictor contraction is challenged. The results of this quantitative study of swallowing in normal subjects, laryngectomized patients, and patients with restricted tongue motion show that tongue driving pressure and the negative pressure developed in the pharyngeal esophageal segment appear more important than the peristaltic-like pressure of the constrictors. Bolus transit is really dependent upon these two pressures. This model for analysis has clinical significance because it permits quantification of the pharyngeal swallowing mechanism.

Function in the pharyngoesophageal segment.

Examination of the pharyngoesophageal (PE) segment is usually limited to manometry or barium swallow. Manofluorography is a technique which allows simultaneous analysis of both manometry and videofluoroscopy of deglutition on a single video screen. Using manofluorography, the physician can see the cause of the manometric pressure waves. Understanding of the PE segment pathophysiology has been limited. Dysfunction is usually labeled as cricopharyngeal achalasia or incoordination, which may lead to cricopharyngeal myotomy. However, this approach has yielded poor results. This study demonstrates that laryngeal elevation and timing of the swallowing reflex also play an important role in controlling pressures and function in the PE segment during deglutition. These factors must also be examined in assessment of cricopharyngeal dysfunction to guide appropriate management.

Indications for tracheoesophageal puncture speech rehabilitation.

Many methods of speech rehabilitation after total laryngectomy have been attempted and abandoned. As experience increased with the tracheoesophageal puncture technique, we found it to be a reliable and reproducible form of speech rehabilitation when certain criteria are met. This study reviews our experience and analyzes the reasons for failure in those populations. Factors analyzed include the evidence of hypopharyngeal stenosis, patient education, XRF, and the flanged prosthesis versus the nonflanged prosthesis. The indications for this type of speech rehabilitation procedure are presented based on our findings.

The effect of asymmetric pharyngoesophageal pressures on manofluorographic measurements.

The fact that pressures in the pharynx are asymmetric has raised questions about the validity of measurements made using manofluorography. Using a special manometric catheter that measures the pressures in four different directions, manofluorography was performed on seven normal volunteers and the measurements in the four directions were compared. When the bolus was not present the measurements were found to be asymmetrical. When the bolus filled the cavity, the measurements were symmetrical. Therefore, manometric measurements made in the pharynx during bolus flow are not invalidated by variations in the orientation of the catheter.

Clinical application of the manofluorogram.

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the clinical usefulness of simultaneous fluoroscopy and manometry, as analyzed by the manofluorogram, in the evaluation of dysphagia. Four quantitative parameters calculated from the manofluorogram are analyzed and compared in six representative cases of dysphagia. The manofluorogram adds diagnostic information which cannot be obtained by barium swallow or standard manometry.

Hypopharyngeal stenosis.

Hypopharyngeal stenosis after total laryngectomy is a relatively frequent complication. In our series we found that approximately 20% of total laryngectomies require treatment for hypopharyngeal stenosis. This presentation analyzed the factors that contribute to hypopharyngeal stenosis in a large series of patients treated at Emory University and affiliated hospitals. Analysis is presented on the effects of location of the cancer, extent of resection, radiation therapy, and methods of reconstruction. The highest incidence of hypopharyngeal stenosis was found in hypopharyngeal vs. endolaryngeal lesions. The surgical decision examined in this paper is whether a primary "tight closure" of the hypopharynx or a flap or graft reconstruction gives the best results with the lowest complication rate. The best treatment of hypopharyngeal stenosis is its prevention. This paper deals with the methods of identifying the surgical situation when one is most apt to have stenosis and suggest appropriate measures to prevent these complications.

Analysis of intrabolus forces in patients with Zenker's diverticulum.

This report presents 10 patients with Zenker's diverticulum who were evaluated with simultaneous solid-state manometry and fluoroscopy. With this method, intrabolus forces are determined. Each patient had abnormal intrabolus forces regardless of the size of the diverticulum and cricopharyngeal muscle dysfunction. In the literature, there has been conflicting manometry results when studying Zenker's diverticulum. The use of analysis of intrabolus forces increases the sensitivity of manometric evaluation. This study establishes pressure abnormality in the pharyngoesophageal segment of patients with Zenker's diverticulum. The pathogenesis of Zenker's is presented based on these findings.

Total laryngectomy and reconstruction of a pseudoglottis: problems and complications.

A modified procedure for the reconstruction of a pseudoglottis after total laryngectomy is examined. The history of this technique, including our experience, is reviewed with emphasis on problems and complications. Indications and justifications for surgery are discussed. Though we can only speculate on the basis of a few cases, we believe that a good voice can be obtained when a pseudoglottis is either primarily or secondarily constructed after laryngectomy. We acknowledge that perhaps the risk of liability tempers our approach and restricts our case selection which, no doubt, in part accounts for our modification of the procedure that was initially performed in Europe. We believe that continued careful application of this technique and its variations will improve the results of modern laryngeal surgery.

Surgical variables affecting postoperative swallowing efficiency in oral cancer patients: a pilot study.

This study examined the correlation between swallow function at 3 months postoperatively and surgical variables including volume resected, flap volume, ratio of flap volume to volume resected, percentage of oral tongue, tongue base, and anterior and lateral floor of mouth resected, and whether or not the mandible was preserved in 30 surgically treated oral cancer patients. Swallows of measured amounts of liquid and paste (pudding) materials were examined videofluoroscopically. Nine measures of swallow function were completed for each swallow. A factor analysis of all swallow variables was done for liquid and for paste consistencies to determine whether one measure was statistically representative of all swallow measures. This analysis indicated that oral pharyngeal swallow efficiency (OPSE) represented all measures for both liquid and paste consistencies. Then the correlation between OPSE and surgical variables was defined. Only percentage of oral tongue and percentage of tongue base resected were significantly negatively correlated with OPSE. That is, OPSE decreased for both liquid and paste as percentage of oral tongue or percentage of tongue base resected increased. Results are discussed in terms of diet choices and surgical management.

Surgical variables affecting speech in treated patients with oral and oropharyngeal cancer.

Postoperative speech function may be influenced by a number of treatment variables. The objective of this study was to examine the relationships among various treatment factors to determine the impact of these measures on speech function. Speech function was tested prospectively in 142 patients with surgically treated oral and oropharyngeal cancer 3 months after treatment. Each patient's speech was recorded during a 6- to 7-minute conversation and while performing a standard articulation test, producing speech outcome measures of percent correct consonant phonemes and percent conversational understandability. Correlational analyses were used to determine the relationships among the speech outcome measures and 14 treatment parameters. Speech function was mildly to moderately negatively correlated with most surgical resection variables, indicating that larger amounts of tissue resected were associated with worse speech function. Overall measures of conversational understandability and percent correct consonant phonemes were related to extent of oral tongue resection, floor of mouth resection, soft palate resection, and total volume of tissue resected. These relationships varied depending on the method of surgical closure. Method of surgical reconstruction had a profound impact on postoperative speech function 3 months after treatment and was an important factor in determining how oral tongue resection influenced articulation and intelligibility. The combination of closure type, percent oral tongue resected, and percent soft palate resected had the strongest relationship with overall speech function for patients with surgically treated oral and oropharyngeal cancer 3 months after treatment.

Timing of major events of pharyngeal swallowing.

Normal swallowing depends on the synergistic motion of the tongue, larynx, and pharyngeal wall to develop a bolus pressure gradient for bolus transit. However, few studies have provided timing relationships for clinical evaluations. To examine the timing relationships of pharyngeal anatomic motion, pressure generation, and bolus transit in the normal swallow, this study uses a new method, manofluorography, to correlate these swallowing aspects. Thirty-one events were timed by analyzing five swallows each in 14 normal subjects. A different perspective of pharyngeal physiology is presented.

A comparison of three methods of oral reconstruction.

A protocol is presented that was designed to provide comparative data on the two primary oral cavity functions affected by surgery: speech and swallowing. Three types of reconstruction (skin grafts, hemitongue flaps, and myocutaneous flaps) and results of a series of tests given to 15 surgical patients with T2 and T3 tongue and/or floor of mouth lesions were evaluated. The patients who had split-thickness skin grafts had the best oral function results. The study suggests that tongue mobility is the most significant variable in determining post-operative speech results.

Functional results of primary closure vs flaps in oropharyngeal reconstruction: a prospective study of speech and swallowing.

BACKGROUND: The preservation of speech and swallowing function is the primary goal when reconstructing soft tissue defects in the oral cavity or oropharynx. The type of reconstructive procedure used should be based on outcome data examining speech and swallowing function; yet, there is a paucity of such information. OBJECTIVES: To present the results of a multi-institutional prospective study of speech and swallowing function before and after soft tissue reconstruction of the oral cavity and oropharynx, and to compare 3 methods of reconstruction with respect to speech and swallowing function: primary closure, distal myocutaneous flap, and microvascular free flap. DESIGN: Prospective case-comparison study. SETTING: Four leading head and neck cancer institutions. PATIENTS: The patients were selected from a database of 284 patients treated at the different institutions. The patients were matched for the location of the oral cavity or oropharyngeal defect and the percentage of oral tongue and tongue base resection. Those patients who had previous speech and swallowing deficits and patients in whom postoperative fistulas or wound infections developed were excluded from the study. METHODS: The patients underwent speech and swallowing evaluation preoperatively and 3 months after healing. This evaluation included videofluoroscopic studies of swallowing and tests of speech intelligibility and sentence articulation. Videofluoroscopy provided measures of swallowing efficiency and bolus movement. Liquid and paste consistencies were used in evaluating swallowing function. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The functional results of the reconstruction. RESULTS: Patients who had primary closure were more efficient at swallowing liquids, had less pharyngeal residue, a longer oral transit time with paste, and higher conversational intelligibility than patients who underwent reconstruction with a distal flap. Compared with patients who underwent reconstruction with a free flap, those who had primary closure had more efficient swallowing of liquids, less pharyngeal residue, and shorter pharyngeal delay times with paste. No difference in the speech and swallowing function existed between patients treated with distal myocutaneous flaps and those treated with microvascular free flaps. CONCLUSION: Contrary to the current theory of oral and oropharyngeal reconstruction, we found that the use of primary closure resulted in equal or better function than the use of flap reconstruction in patients with a comparable locus of resection and percentage of oral tongue and tongue base resection.

Intraoral multifocal adult rhabdomyoma. Report of a case and review of the literature.

Adult rhabdomyomas are uncommon, benign neoplasms of the head and neck region. They are usually solitary, but may rarely be multifocal. We report the clinical and morphologic features of a multifocal adult rhabdomyoma apparently present in the floor of the mouth of an elderly woman for 20 years. At the time of exploratory surgery, the surgeon believed there was diffuse multinodular enlargement of both sublingual glands. The differential diagnosis of a biopsy specimen that was taken for frozen section included salivary gland oncocytosis, a reactive process. On examination of permanent sections, however, the lesion was found to be a multifocal rhabdomyoma. No evidence of salivary gland tissue was found. Ultrastructural study demonstrated the characteristic attempts by this tumor to recapitulate its origin from skeletal muscle by the formation of abnormal contractile elements.

Treatment of posterior pharyngeal wall carcinoma.

Thirty cases of posterior pharyngeal wall carcinoma (seen in the Emory University system between 1977 and 1982) are reviewed. The study was implemented to resolve the question, "Which therapeutic alternative is preferred for the treatment of the lesion--radiation or therapy?" From our clinical experience, a treatment plan of primary surgery with postoperative radiation appears to be preferred over a treatment plan of radiation for cure with surgery held for salvage. A current review of the literature on the treatment of posterior wall carcinoma will be presented along with a review of our series.

Neoglottis reconstruction following total laryngectomy: the Emory experience.

A number of studies over the last decade have reported on a viability of the primary neoglottis reconstruction after total laryngectomy. Early results have been encouraging, although operative and perioperative complications are higher than with a classic laryngectomy. This article reports on a series of 13 neoglottis reconstructions performed at Emory University Medical School using the techniques developed by Mario Staffieri, MD. During the course of the study, the overall success rate has fallen from 80% at three years to 54% at five years. With each succeeding year there has been an increasing need for revision surgery. The series emphasizes the need for long-term follow-up in any vocal rehabilitation procedure.