A total laryngectomy remains the gold standard for the initial treatment of advanced (T4) squamous cell carcinomas of the larynx without evidence of distant disease. Adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) is also recommended for such cancers. In the absence of other adverse...
Following a total laryngectomy, alterations in the pharyngeal musculature and changes in the pharyngo-oesophageal segment due to reconstruction, results in altered bolus transit. Swallowing dysfunction after total laryngectomy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma can vary from 10%-90%. There...
Total laryngectomy diverts airflow away from the nose and, hence, olfaction is greatly impaired. Undoubtedly, this affects quality of life in terms of loss of taste and flavour. Surgery and devices to re-establish airflow into the nose can be difficult...
It is generally believed that patients should be fed by nasogastric tube for 7-10 days after undergoing total laryngectomy or laryngopharyngectomy to avoid the occurrence of post-operative salivary fistula. This study challenges this belief and looks into various factors that...
Decision making regarding appropriate treatment for laryngeal cancer is complex. Patients undergoing total laryngectomy experience significant changes in anatomy and physiology and are at risk for significant postoperative complications. These patients represent a group with significant comorbidities. In addition, patients...
Partial laryngectomy constitutes one of the treatments for early stage glottic carcinoma (i.e. T1N0 and T2N0) in specialised centres. Over the years, several partial laryngectomy and reconstruction techniques have been described in the literature. The choice of technique depends on...
Salvage laryngectomy for recurrent laryngeal carcinoma following failed radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy is associated with high postoperative complication rate. The primary aim of this paper was to assess whether use of muscle myocutaneous flap (PMMCF) as an interposition graft reduces the...
This is a retrospective study of 63 patients presenting with stage four laryngeal and/or hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. The aim was to define the factors influencing the oncological and functional outcomes of the patients. All patients had T4 lesions with...
Peter Cawrey lives in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, with his wife Dorothy. He had a salvage laryngectomy for squamous cell carcinoma in 2015, three years following his initial radiotherapy. Due to complications and a complex recovery, he has elected not to have...
As a Macmillan Head and Neck Specialist Nurse, I was very pleased to be asked to review this book, The Laryngectomee Guide, by Itzhak Brook, MD. It is fair to say that for most laryngectomy patients, life does go on...
In this article, the authors describe a simple and effective technique for extracting an aspirated voice prosthesis from within the tracheobronchial tree in the awake laryngectomised patient using the Ambu® aScopeTM 4 Broncho endoscope. Surgical voice restoration remains the dominant...
When The Chocolate Line in Bruges, Belgium, was approached by the charity, Shout at Cancer, there was always going to be something very special and innovative in the pipeline! Shout at Cancer’s Thomas Moors has been chatting with Julius Persoone,...