Treatment of tracheoesophageal fistulas following laryngectomy by customized prostheses—A bicentric case series

OBJECTIVE: Tracheoesophageal fistulas (TEF) following laryngectomy cause immense restrictions due to the inability of oral feeding, loss of voice rehabilitation, penetration of saliva, and permanent need of inflatable tracheal cannulas. Patients are consistently in threat of fatal aspiration pneumonias. The failure rate of surgical approaches to close the fistulas is high and an ultima ratio option by customized silicone prostheses can be considered. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 26 patients with a TEF was performed. RESULTS: The fistulas occurred in average 40 months after laryngectomy caused by an enlargement of the voice fistula in 17 patients and problems in wound healing in 6 patients. The mean diameter of the fistula was 32 × 18 mm. Eight patients were treated by a button‐shaped and 18 by a tube‐shaped prosthesis. Complete oral feeding was possible in 8 and additional feeding by percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube in 16 patients. Voice rehabilitation by voice prostheses was possible in 18 cases. Fifteen patients died in the course of the treatment either due to oncological progression or other reasons. The median follow‐up time of the patients alive was 36 months (max 88 months) with 2.2 protheses replacements in mean (max 11). CONCLUSION: The treatment of TEF by customized prostheses can be considered as an ultima ration option if other approaches had failed. At least, partial oral nutrition and voice rehabilitation as well as protection from aspiration can be achieved in the majority of the patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4—Case series.