Swallowing & Communication (Adults)
Hearing that you need surgery on your larynx for the first time can be quite a frightening prospect, especially if the surgery will remove your ability to speak using the larynx (voice box). There are plenty of things we can do in hospitals though before, during and after your surgery to prepare you and your family, and plenty of help and support is available outside of hospital too.
In the video, Malcolm Babb from the National Association of Laryngectomee Clubs (NALC) talks about his personal story of finding out he needed to have laryngeal surgery and the impact on his life. Malcolm chose to use an electrolarynx to communicate and got back to work, communicating effectively. Malcolm also explains NALC's work helping patients with laryngectomies understand their condition. NALC works across the UK to partner with patients who need a laryngectomy and helps them come to terms with loosing your voice. Fortunately, as Malcolm demonstrates, there are a number of effective techniques to get patients back communicating quickly and effectively.
You can find out more about NALC here: http://www.laryngectomy.org.uk
You can find printed resources about laryngectomy care here:
Emergency laryngectomy management
Laryngectomy emergency algorithm