laryngectomee
Meaning of laryngectomee: A laryngectomee is a person who has undergone complete surgical removal of the larynx and now breathes through a neck opening.
Definition of laryngectomee
A laryngectomee is a person who has had a laryngectomy, the surgical removal of the larynx, or voice box. After a total laryngectomy, the airway is permanently separated from the mouth and nose, and the person breathes through an opening in the neck called a stoma rather than through the nose or mouth.
Because the vocal cords are removed along with the larynx, a laryngectomee can no longer produce voice in the usual way and typically learns an alternative method of communication, such as using a device that generates speech, learning a technique to produce voice using air from the esophagus, or using a voice prosthesis placed during or after surgery.
A laryngectomee also requires specific precautions related to breathing through the neck stoma rather than the nose and mouth, since this changes how air is filtered, warmed, and humidified before reaching the lungs.
Used in a sentence
The speech-language pathologist worked with the laryngectomee to explore options for alternative voice communication.
Good to know
A laryngectomee breathes exclusively through a neck stoma rather than the nose or mouth, which is a key distinction from a tracheostomy, in which the connection between the upper airway and the lungs generally remains intact.
Word origin
Where “laryngectomee” comes from
Formed from laryng-, from Greek larynx, meaning "the upper part of the windpipe," -ectomy, from Greek ektome, meaning "a cutting out," and -ee, a suffix denoting the person affected by an action.