ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Italian Journal of Maxillofacial Surgery 2013 December;24(3):107-19

Copyright © 2014 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Swallowing and speech impairment after surgical treatment of tongue and/or mouth floor squamous cell carcinoma

Fasolis M. ¹, Bianchi F. A. ¹, Piumetto E. ², Dell’acqua A. ³, Tanteri G. ¹, Tosco P. ¹, Garzino-Demo P. ¹, Albera R. ², Ramieri G. ¹

¹ Maxillofacial Surgery Section, Department of Surgical Sciences, San Giovanni Battista Hospital, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; ² II Section of ENT, Department of Surgical Sciences, San Giovanni Battista Hospital, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; ³ Oral Rehabilitation, Maxillofacial Prosthisis and Dental Implantology Section, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, San Giovanni Battista Hospital, University of Turin, Turin, Italy

AIM: Our study analyzed association of swallowing and speech impairment after surgical treatment of squamous cell carcinoma with tumor subsites, size of resection and reconstructive modality.
METHODS: The study included 70 patients who underwent surgery for SCC of the tongue/mouth floor. A self- assessed questionnaire showed the patient’s perception of swallowing and each patients underwent phoniatric assessment.
RESULTS: Most patients (N.=52) reported a mild moderate swallowing disability (group 1) regardless of the tumor’s location, type of resection or reconstruction. Forty-one patients in questionnaire group 1 were assigned to swallowing group 0. A good correspondence between questionnaire and swallowing scores for patients in questionnaire group 0, was noted. There was no agreement between phonetic scores and tumor subsite, type of resection or reconstruction.
CONCLUSION: Swallowing and phonation could be modified depending on the patient’s general status, the resection and the reconstructive technique. Sometimes the patients’ and surgeons’ perspectives were not the same.