Decisional Conflict in Patients with Advanced Laryngeal Carcinoma: A Multicenter Study.

Objectives: Decision-making for patients with a locally advanced laryngeal carcinoma (T3 and T4) is challenging due to the treatment choice between organ preservation and laryngectomy, both with different and high impact on function and quality of life (QoL). The complexity of these treatment decisions and their possible consequences might lead to decisional conflict (DC). This study aimed to explore the level of DC in locally advanced laryngeal carcinoma patients facing curative decision-making, and to identify possible associated factors.

Intraoperative Imaging Techniques to Improve Surgical Resection Margins of Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Cancer: A Comprehensive Review of Current Literature.

Inadequate resection margins in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma surgery necessitate adjuvant therapies such as re-resection and radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy and imply increasing morbidity and worse prognosis. On the other hand, taking larger margins by extending the resection also leads to avoidable increased morbidity. Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCCs) are often difficult to access; resections are limited by anatomy and functionality and thus carry an increased risk for close or positive margins.

A comparison of the Thunderbeat and standard electrocautery devices in head and neck surgery: a prospective randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: New energy-based sutureless vessel ligation devices, such as the Thunderbeat (Olympus Medical Systems Corp., Tokyo, Japan), could reduce operative time and limit blood loss in head and neck surgery; however, efficacy and safety in major head and neck surgery have not been investigated in a prospective, randomized study.

Methods: This prospective, double-arm, randomized controlled trial consisted of two parts: total laryngectomy (TL) and neck dissection (ND).

Short- and long-term complications of surgical and percutaneous dilatation tracheotomies: a large single-centre retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine and compare the incidence of long- and short-term complications of percutaneous dilatation tracheotomies (PDT) and surgical tracheotomies (ST).

Design: A single-centre retrospective study.

Participants: 305 patients undergoing a tracheotomy (PDT or ST) in the University Medical Center Groningen from 2003 to 2013 were included.

Comparative Study Between Peristomal Patches in Patients with Definitive Tracheostomy.

 To prevent or diminish pulmonary problems in laryngectomized patients, continuous use of a heat and moisture exchanger (HME) is recommended. Therefore, automatic speaking valves are also often combined with an HME to enable hands-free speech. In order to keep these devices in place, most commonly, peristomal patches are used.