Research Article: Evidence-Based Recommendations in Primary Tracheoesophageal Puncture for Voice Prosthesis Rehabilitation
Abstract:
Head and neck cancer, the seventh most common cancer worldwide, often affects the larynx, with a higher incidence in men. Total laryngectomy, a common treatment, results in the loss of phonation, and tracheoesophageal voice rehabilitation is the current rehabilitation method of choice. Despite ongoing debates regarding the timing of tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP), a crucial procedure for voice prosthesis placement, the secondary puncture continues to be the preferred choice in the majority of cases. This underscores the persistent controversy and the absence of consensus in this field. The aim of this manuscript was to define evidence-based recommendations regarding the procedure of primary TEP with voice prosthesis placement, establish the conditions and requirements for performing primary TEP, determine the indications and contraindications of primary TEP, as well as to define the complications and management of primary TEP. A total of 19 statements were formulated, with 78.95% of them having a Level of Evidence 4 and a Grade of Recommendation C. There is not sufficient evidence comparing the outcomes of primary TEP versus secondary TEP. Future studies with robust methodologies are needed to clarify the role of primary and secondary TEP in the rehabilitation of patients undergoing total laryngectomy.
Introduction:
Head and neck cancer is the seventh most common cancer worldwide [1], with the larynx being the most common site in Europe, with an incidence of 4.6/100,000 [2]. This type of cancer is more prevalent in men than in women, with a ratio of 10:1, although in recent years, there has been an increase in the number of cases in women due to the rise in tobacco and alcohol consumption [3]. Generally, laryngeal cancer tends to occur more frequently between the sixth and seventh decades of life.
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