Surgical Management of the Non-functional Larynx after Organ Preservation Therapy

Surgical Management of the Non-functional Larynx after Organ Preservation Therapy

Objective: Removal of the larynx for laryngeal malignancy is a curative procedure in the setting of resectable cancer. In the era of organ preservation, the use of radiation to treat head and neck cancer is often the first line of treatment. However, late complications are frequently seen, including laryngeal dysfunction, aspiration, and chondroradionecrosis. The goal of our study was to review our surgical experience with laryngectomy for patients with nonfunctional larynges.
Data sources: Twenty-four disease-free head and neck cancer survivors who underwent total laryngectomy (TL) for laryngopharyngeal dysfunction from 1/2003 to 12/2008 at a tertiary referral center.