Complications of pharyngeal myotomy for alaryngeal voice rehabilitation

Over the eight-year period to May 1991, 256 patients were referred for post laryngectomy voice rehabilitation. Videofluoroscopy identified 81 (32 per cent) who required pharyngeal myotomy for a spastic pharyngooesophageal segment. Forty-two of these (37 male, 5 female and average age 63 years) had their surgery performed at this unit with a complication rate of 17 per cent and an average post operative stay of 10 days (range 4-41 days). The place of the operation for pharyngeal myotomy in post laryngectomy voice rehabilitation is discussed.