Rebecca Maunsell1, Rafaela Lombas de Resende2, Amanda Morioka3, Débora B Pazinatto4, Ana Carolina Constantini5. 1. Otolaryngology Department, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: rebecca.maunsell@gmail.com. 2. Human Development and Rehabilitation Department, Faculty of Medical Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: fonorafaelalombas@gmail.com. 3. Otolaryngology Department, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: ac.morioka@gmail.com. 4. Otolaryngology Department, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: deh.pazinatto@gmail.com. 5. Human Development and Rehabilitation Department, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: carolconstantini@gmail.com.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Open airway surgery is used to treat severe grades of laryngotracheal stenosis in children. Scarring of the airway following these procedures may lead to voice impairment and impact quality of life. This study was designed to characterize vocal outcome in children submitted reconstructive airway surgery and verify how this correlates to voice related quality of life in this population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Children submitted to open airway surgery that had been decannulated for a minimum of 30 days and had functional speech were invited to participate. Pediatric Voice-Related Quality-of-Life survey (PVRQoL) was applied, consensus auditory perceptive of voice (CAPE-V) protocol was used for perceptual voice evaluation and acoustic analysis was performed using Praat software. RESULTS: Twenty children were enrolled in the study with an average age of 4 years and 8 months. Averages for PVRQoL exceeded normative values in 80% of the children. Half of the children had normal voice or mild dysphonia and half had moderate dysphonia, according to perceptual evaluation. Measures of F0, jitter and particularly shimmer were abnormal in most of the children. CONCLUSION: Voice quality varies from normal to moderately impaired in children following reconstructive airway surgery. Voice quality impacts quality of life in the majority of cases and the degree of dysphonia does not always correlate with voice related quality of life scores.
INTRODUCTION: Open airway surgery is used to treat severe grades of laryngotracheal stenosis in children. Scarring of the airway following these procedures may lead to voice impairment and impact quality of life. This study was designed to characterize vocal outcome in children submitted reconstructive airway surgery and verify how this correlates to voice related quality of life in this population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Children submitted to open airway surgery that had been decannulated for a minimum of 30 days and had functional speech were invited to participate. Pediatric Voice-Related Quality-of-Life survey (PVRQoL) was applied, consensus auditory perceptive of voice (CAPE-V) protocol was used for perceptual voice evaluation and acoustic analysis was performed using Praat software. RESULTS: Twenty children were enrolled in the study with an average age of 4 years and 8 months. Averages for PVRQoL exceeded normative values in 80% of the children. Half of the children had normal voice or mild dysphonia and half had moderate dysphonia, according to perceptual evaluation. Measures of F0, jitter and particularly shimmer were abnormal in most of the children. CONCLUSION: Voice quality varies from normal to moderately impaired in children following reconstructive airway surgery. Voice quality impacts quality of life in the majority of cases and the degree of dysphonia does not always correlate with voice related quality of life scores.
Authors: Mariah de Souza Arantes; Amanda Sampaio Almeida; Ana Carolina Constantini; Luciahelena Prata; Debora Bressan Pazinatto; Ana Paula de Morais E Oliveira; Rebecca Maunsell Journal: OTO Open Date: 2022-05-29