Abstract:

We present a patient—status posttotal laryngectomy for squamous cell carcinoma—who developed symptomatic large airway obstruction resulting from aspiration of a tracheoesophageal vocal prosthesis into the right bronchus intermedius. These prostheses are being used increasingly by otolaryngologists and speech pathologists as an enhancement to esophageal speech. The foreign body was removed using flexible bronchoscopy forceps with improvement in the patient's symptoms. This is the first published report of aspiration and airway occlusion by this new medical device.

Journal of Bronchology7:248-251, 2000.

FB, foreign body; TE, tracheoesophageal; FFB, flexible bronchoscopy

*Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Division, †Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

Address reprint requests to Dr. Daniel H. Sterman, Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, 833 West Gates Building, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

© 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.