OBJECTIVES: To examine the olfactory function in patients with laryngectomy and to assess the results of the Nasal Airflow-Inducing Maneuver (NAIM) odor-rehabilitation technique. DESIGN: A prospective intervention study. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENTS: Twenty-four patients, 21 men and 3 women, mean age 68 years, who underwent laryngectomy at least 5 months prior to intervention. INTERVENTION: Speech therapists trained patients in the NAIM technique: simultaneous lowering of the jaw, floor of the mouth, tongue, base of the tongue, and soft palate while the lips are closed. Three interventions were given within 6 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Olfactory testing with semistructured interview, the Questionnaire on Olfaction, Taste, and Appetite (QOTA), and the Scandinavian Odor-Identification Test (SOIT). Quality of life was measured with European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and QLQ-H&N35 questionnaires. The patients were categorized as smellers or nonsmellers based on the SOIT results. RESULTS: Before the treatment, 10 patients (42%) were smellers (ie, 6 had normosmia and 4 hyposmia), while 14 patients (58%) were nonsmellers (ie, all had anosmia). Thus, 18 patients had impaired olfaction. Using the NAIM technique, 13 (72%) of 18 patients with impaired olfaction showed improvement. Of the 14 nonsmellers, 7 converted to smellers after only 1 intervention session, giving us a success rate of 50% in anosmic patients after 1 session. CONCLUSIONS: Olfactory impairment is common in patients who underwent laryngectomy. The NAIM method is easy to learn and rapidly improves smell and taste. A single intervention session is sometimes sufficient, but many patients benefit from repeated training. The SOIT test is an effective and simple test for the assessment of olfaction acuity after laryngectomy.
OBJECTIVES: To examine the olfactory function in patients with laryngectomy and to assess the results of the Nasal Airflow-Inducing Maneuver (NAIM) odor-rehabilitation technique. DESIGN: A prospective intervention study. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENTS: Twenty-four patients, 21 men and 3 women, mean age 68 years, who underwent laryngectomy at least 5 months prior to intervention. INTERVENTION: Speech therapists trained patients in the NAIM technique: simultaneous lowering of the jaw, floor of the mouth, tongue, base of the tongue, and soft palate while the lips are closed. Three interventions were given within 6 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Olfactory testing with semistructured interview, the Questionnaire on Olfaction, Taste, and Appetite (QOTA), and the Scandinavian Odor-Identification Test (SOIT). Quality of life was measured with European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and QLQ-H&N35 questionnaires. The patients were categorized as smellers or nonsmellers based on the SOIT results. RESULTS: Before the treatment, 10 patients (42%) were smellers (ie, 6 had normosmia and 4 hyposmia), while 14 patients (58%) were nonsmellers (ie, all had anosmia). Thus, 18 patients had impaired olfaction. Using the NAIM technique, 13 (72%) of 18 patients with impaired olfaction showed improvement. Of the 14 nonsmellers, 7 converted to smellers after only 1 intervention session, giving us a success rate of 50% in anosmic patients after 1 session. CONCLUSIONS: Olfactory impairment is common in patients who underwent laryngectomy. The NAIM method is easy to learn and rapidly improves smell and taste. A single intervention session is sometimes sufficient, but many patients benefit from repeated training. The SOIT test is an effective and simple test for the assessment of olfaction acuity after laryngectomy.