Method of placing an esophageal voice prosthesis in a laryngectomized person

Claim 1

A method of restoring speech in a patient who has undergone a surgical removal of the voice box to be performed by a surgeon or other person to provide the patient with a voice restorative prosthesis, said patient having a esophagus, mouth and tracheostoma, said method comprising the steps of: a. sedating said patient under local anesthesia; b. providing a flexible endoscope and introducing said flexible endoscope into the patient's mouth until the flexible endoscope reaches the patient's esophagus; c. providing a Seldinger needle having an outer cannula and introducing said Seldinger needle into the patient so that the Seldinger needle punctures the tracheostoma and enters said patient's esophagus to create a passageway therethrough, while the surgeon visualizes the introduction of the Seldinger needle through the flexible endoscope; d. providing a guide wire and threading said guide wire through the outer canula of the Seldinger needle directly into the patient's esophagus and out through the patient's mouth; e. providing a measuring catheter having a distal end with graduated, pre-measured lines, and a proximal end, and threading said guide wire through said distal end and out through said proximal end of the measuring catheter; f. guiding the measuring catheter directly over the guide wire, and through patient's mouth and esophagus until the measuring catheter extends through said passageway in a retrograde fashion so that said proximal end abuts said esophagus at the site of the passageway and the surgeon can see the pre-measured lines extending through and out said passageway; g. measuring the length of the tracheostoma using the measuring catheter; h. removing the measuring catheter from the patient through the patient's mouth; i. providing a length of catheter tubing having a voice restorative prosthesis attached to the catheter tubing, said voice restorative prosthesis having a length appropriate for the patient's tracheostoma, a distal end having a one-way valve and a flexible retaining flap, and a proximal end having a flange; j. threading said guide wire through said catheter tubing and through the distal end of the prosthesis and out through said proximal end of said prosthesis; guiding said catheter tubing and said prosthesis directly over the guide wire through the patient's mouth and esophagus until the prosthesis extends through said passageway in a retrograde fashion so that the flange abuts the anterior of the patient's esophagus and the flexible retaining flap is located outside of the patient; and l. severing said distal end of said catheter tubing.

Claim 2

A method of restoring speech in a patient who has undergone a surgical removal of the voice box to be performed by a surgeon or other person to provide the patient with a voice restorative prosthesis, said patient having a esophagus, mouth and tracheostoma, said method comprising the steps of: a. sedating said patient under local anesthesia; b. providing a flexible endoscope and introducing said flexible endoscope into the patient's mouth until the flexible endoscope reaches the patient's esophagus; c. providing a Seldinger needle having an outer cannula and introducing said Seldinger needle into the patient so that the Seldinger needle punctures the tracheostoma and enters said patient's esophagus to create a passageway therethrough, while the surgeon visualizes the introduction of the Seldinger needle through the flexible endoscope; d. providing a guide wire and threading said guide wire through the outer canula of the Seldinger needle directly into the patient's esophagus and out through the patient's mouth; e. providing a measuring catheter having a distal end with graduated, pre-measured lines, and a proximal end, and threading said guide wire through said distal end and out through said proximal end of the measuring catheter; f. guiding the measuring catheter directly over the guide wire, and through patient's mouth and esophagus until the measuring catheter extends through said passageway in a retrograde fashion so that said proximal end abuts said esophagus at the site of the passageway and the surgeon can see the pre-measured lines extending through and out said passageway; g. measuring the length of the tracheostoma using the measuring catheter; h. removing the measuring catheter from the patient through the patient's mouth; i. providing a length of catheter tubing having a voice restorative prosthesis attached to the catheter tubing, said voice restorative prosthesis having a length appropriate for the patient's tracheostoma, a distal end having a one-way valve and a flexible retaining flap, and a proximal end having a flange; j. threading said guide wire through said catheter tubing and through the distal end of the prosthesis and out through said proximal end of said prosthesis; guiding said catheter tubing and said prosthesis directly over the guide wire through the patient's mouth and esophagus until the prosthesis extends through said passageway in a retrograde fashion so that the flange abuts the anterior of the patient's esophagus and the flexible retaining flap is located outside of the patient; and l. severing said distal end of said catheter tubing.