Laryngectomy
A total laryngectomy is the complete surgical removal of the voice box. It is usually performed for cancer of the larynx, though in some cases, the larynx may be removed if it has stopped functioning properly. An even more important function than enabling you to speak, your vocal cords (part of your larynx or voice box) close tightly when you swallow, preventing food, fluid, and saliva from entering your lungs.
A person who has undergone a total laryngectomy no longer breathes through his nose or mouth, but only through an opening in the neck called a stoma. This opening is the trachea (windpipe) that has been permanently brought out to the neck. It connects directly with your bronchus, which leads into your lungs.
With a tracheostomy or laryngectomy, the air that you are now breathing is no longer being warmed and moistened, as it was when you breathed through your nose. Additional humidity is necessary, especially at night, and can be provided by an ultrasonic humidifier or home nebulizer unit. The added humidity will help decrease the crust formation in the tracheostomy tube. You should also have 6 to 8 glasses of water a day, either by mouth or through your feeding tube (as determined by your doctor). This helps keep your mucus thin and easy to cough out of your stoma.
