Evaluation record for taking charge of the patient after laryngectomy
Maria Valeria Di Martino, Marina Accornero, Maria Cristina Mondiello, Pasquale D’Errico, Eugenio Tremante
In Italy cancer of the larynx is the most common tumour of the head and neck, with a higher prevalence in males. After diagnosis of laryngeal CA, surgery is the first choice of treatment and the type of intervention is chosen according to tumour staging and patient characteristics (sex, age, comorbidities, socio-cultural level). After surgery, which is more or less extensive, impairment of various laryngeal and extralaryngeal functions occurs. The aim of this paper is to illustrate a tool for the early management of patients after a laryngectomy. The Evaluation of Rehabilitation Needs record was used during hospitalisation in the UOC (Operative Unit) of Otolaryngology in the Azienda Ospedaliera dei Colli, Naples, by a multidisciplinary team, and was employed for 34 patients operated on in the years 2014 and 2015. The record allowed us to highlight, using the ICF components, the rehabilitative priority of each person, and the development of an individual rehabilitation project with the description of the objectives and specific programmes needed to achieve them.
Keywords
Laryngectomies, Assessment, ICF.