Live well, every day

Whether you’ve had a total laryngectomy recently or some time ago, we can provide you with a range of Provox pulmonary rehabilitation products specially designed to help you cough less, breathe better, stay active, and do the things you enjoy. These products can help in different situations, depending on the time of day and what you’re doing.

Breathing before and after a laryngectomy

Before surgery, you breathed through your nose, mouth and throat – or what’s known as the ‘upper airways.’ These upper airways (in particular the nose) condition the air you breathe by warming up, humidifying and filtering it because your lungs need conditioned air to work properly. Since laryngectomy surgery disconnects your upper airways; it will affect your lung function.

After your laryngectomy, your breath is no longer humidified or heated. This sort of ‘unconditioned air’ will be too dry and cold for your lungs, and may potentially lead to more mucus, coughing and a higher risk of airway infections.

Click here to learn more about why your lungs need warm and moist air.

Your HME is your ‘new nose’

Heat and Moisture Exchangers (HMEs) are designed to help your lungs by warming and humidifying the air you breathe; replacing what the upper airways used to do.

The benefits of using HMEs

HMEs will have a big impact on your daily life after a laryngectomy. When first using an HME, you might experience more coughing than usual, but this is perfectly normal and only temporary as your lungs clear the mucus.

Your HME is proven to reduce:

Coughing

Mucus production

The need for stoma cleaning

Your HME is also proven to improve:

Quality of life

Sleep

Voicing

People who use HMEs 24 hours a day generally produce less mucus meaning they cough less, require less stoma cleaning, and get a better night’s sleep.

Click here if you want to know how HMEs work.

Better breathing is just an HME away

If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to get acquainted with HMEs. You will rely on them 24 hours a day after a laryngectomy. Wearing a HME 24 hours a day, and changing it regularly, is the best way to maintain lung health after a laryngectomy. Improved lung health helps to reduce coughing which can also have a positive impact on quality of life.

The number and type of HMEs needed during a 24-hour period will vary based on the situations encountered and the frequency of (involuntary) coughing. Typically, one HME is used during the night and about one or two HMEs during the day. The HME may need to be replaced more often if clogged due to mucus, secretions, or other contamination. Please follow the guidance in the Instructions For Use (IFU), available here: atosmedical.com/ifu-instructions-for-use/

Wearing an HME for 24 hours a day can take some getting used to. Click here to see for some tips and tricks.

References

Bien, S., Okla, S., van As-Brooks, C. J., & Ackerstaff, A. H. (2010). The effect of a Heat and Moisture Exchanger (Provox HME) on pulmonary protection after total laryngectomy: a randomized controlled study. Eur. Arch. Otorhinolaryngol, 267(3), 429-435. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-009-1018-4 [doi] (Not in File)

Hilgers, F. J., Ackerstaff, A. H., Aaronson, N. K., Schouwenburg, P. F., & Van, Z. N. (1990). Physical and psychosocial consequences of total laryngectomy. Clin. Otolaryngol. Allied Sci, 15(5), 421- 425. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2282704 (Not in File)

Parrilla, C., Minni, A., Bogaardt, H., Macri, G. F., Battista, M., Roukos, R., Pandolfini, M., Ruoppolo, G., Paludetti, G., D'Alatri, L., & de, V. M. (2015). Pulmonary Rehabilitation After Total Laryngectomy: A Multicenter Time-Series Clinical Trial Evaluating the Provox XtraHME in HME-Naive Patients. Ann. Otol. Rhinol Laryngol, 124(9), 706-713. https://doi.org/0003489415579219 [pii];10.1177/0003489415579219 [doi] (Not in File)

Ratnayake, C. B. B., Fles, R., Tan, I. B., Baijens, L. W. J., Pilz, W., Meeuwis, C. A., Janssen-van Det, P. H. E., van Son, R., & Van den Brekel, M. W. M. (2019). Multicenter randomized crossover trial evaluating the provox luna in laryngectomized subjects. Laryngoscope, 129(10), 2354-2360. https://doi.org/10.1002/lary.27839

van den Boer, C., van Harten, M. C., Hilgers, F. J., van den Brekel, M. W., & Retel, V. P. (2014). Incidence of severe tracheobronchitis and pneumonia in laryngectomized patients: a retrospective clinical study and a European-wide survey among head and neck surgeons. Eur. Arch. Otorhinolaryngol, 271(12), 3297-3303. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-014-2927- 4 [doi] (Not in File)

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