Is it harder to breathe after a laryngectomy?
David Blevins sent the following question for Dr. Peters: After the laryngectomy, many larys seem to complain about a chronic shortness of breath, slower recovery from physical exertion, and even resistance to wearing anything over their stomas which feel like they are reducing air flow. Are these sensations accurate, and did something else change along with the humidification, filtration, and the air-warming functions of our nose, mouth, and throat? Is it now too “easy” for us to breathe…having lost the resistance to it provided by the upper part of our respiratory system. Dr. Peters answer: The real answer lies in what we have come to associate with adequate airflow and that is the SENSATION of air moving through our nose, mouth, and throat. Too many times I have seen patients immediately after their laryngectomies panicked and struggling to breathe. I watch them moving air and breathing well through their new stomas. It is only when I take their hand and put it in front of their s
