Effectiveness of Bronchodilator Therapy on Dyspnoea After Total Laryngectomy
Keywords:
Dyspnoea, Lung function, Laryngectomy, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Dis-ease (COPD)Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of long-term bronchodilators (six months of treatment) by performing a functional assessment and determining the degree of breathlessness in a group of laryngectomies.
Materials and Methods: We evaluated 93 outpatient laryngectomies by means of spirometry (extra-tracheal device); the mMRC scale was administered to determine the degree of dyspnoea. When appropriate, we began treatment with bronchodilators according to measured bronchial obstruction and repeated the test after six months of therapy.
Results: Patients undergoing total laryngectomy very often develop clinically evident bron-choconstriction and severe dyspnoea over the long term. In laryngectomies, the prevalence of airway obstruction is high (about 60%) and the incidence of dyspnoea is also very high (51 out of 62).
Conclusion: Bronchodilator therapy improved pulmonary function and dyspnoea within 180 days of treatment. The possibility of evaluating and quantifying the degree of obstruction al-lows optimization of drug therapy.
