Functional outcomes of transoral laser surgery of supraglottic carcinoma compared with a transcervical approach.

Background: Several functional advantages have been described for the transoral laser supraglottic laryngectomy as compared with open techniques. However, comparative studies have been rarely performed.

Methods: Functional results in 26 patients treated with a transoral approach were retrospectively compared with those of a comparable series of 26 patients who underwent a transcervical approach.

Results: The only significant differences found between the two groups were a lesser number of temporary tracheotomies and a shorter time of removal of the nasogastric tube in the laser group. No significant differences were found in the incidence of postoperative complications, hospital stay, and swallowing capacity.

Conclusions: The rate of functional problems after transoral laser surgery did not greatly decrease compared with the rate after the conventional procedure. The mayor advantage of the transoral approach was the lower incidence of temporary tracheotomies.