Head and neck cancer treatment frequently results in long-term severe swallowing deficits, often requiring feeding tube dependency. Patients who have completed swallowing exercise programs before and during cancer treatment experienced more positive swallowing outcomes, but most patients are not referred for swallowing intervention early enough in…

This self-instructional model, written for registered nurses, is divided into three sections: (1) anatomy and physiology of the patient before and after laryngectomy; (2) eating and nourishment following the total laryngectomy; and (3) two options for speech following a total laryngectomy--the electrolarynx and esophageal speech. The manual…