Laryngectomy usually refers to radical total laryngectomy, but laryngeal cancer is not limited to total laryngectomy, according to the specific condition, some patients can also undergo partial laryngectomy, laser surgery, radiotherapy and so on.
Laser surgery is mainly used for treating early glottic and supraglottic laryngeal cancer. Under the supportive laryngoscope, the tumor can be completely exposed, and all sectors of the tumor are in the field of vision, and the tumor can be completely removed in the area that can be reached by the laser beam.
Whether total laryngectomy is needed needs to be judged according to the specific condition, and the following is an example of supraglottic laryngeal cancer:
T1 stage supraglottic laryngeal cancer: if the exposure of support laryngoscope is poor, horizontal partial laryngectomy can be chosen.
T1-T3 stage lesions: limited to the epiglottis, laryngeal vestibule or aryepiglottic folds, without involving the arytenoid cartilage, the base of the laryngeal ventricle and the union, horizontal partial laryngectomy can be chosen.
T3 stage supraglottic laryngeal cancer: it involves arytenoid cartilage on one side, the vocal folds of that side are fixed, and the vocal folds of the opposite side have good movement, so enlarged laryngeal horizontal partial resection or laryngeal horizontal plus vertical (3/4) partial resection can be chosen.
Stage T4 supraglottic laryngeal cancer: involving the epiglottic valley or the root of the tongue, not exceeding the contour papilla in the forward direction, preoperative pulmonary function evaluation estimating that the patient is able to tolerate aspiration during swallowing training, and the bilateral vocal folds have good activity, enlarged laryngeal horizontal partial resection can be chosen, and the root of the tongue can be extended by banded myofascial flap to repair the root of the tongue.
However, if the tumor is relatively large and invades more surrounding tissues, total laryngectomy is often required. If the tumor is in advanced stage, the chance of complete surgical resection is usually lost, and comprehensive treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy should be carried out on time as prescribed by doctors after surgery.
Laryngeal cancer patients are recommended to go to professional hospitals for further examination and treatment under the guidance of doctors after the cause of the disease is clarified.