Near total laryngectomy: a versatile approach for voice restoration in advanced T3 and T4 laryngeal cancer: functional results and survival.

Purpose: Creation of a tunneled mucosal shunt between the trachea and pharynx that is controlled by remaining intrinsic laryngeal musculature with its nerve supply is an acceptable voice restoration procedure for advanced T3 and T4 laryngeal cancer. Such a tunnel will allow unilateral direction of air from lung to pharynx during phonation and will prevent aspiration since deglutition is a vagal mediated response which will induce contraction of tubed laryngeal musculature preventing aspiration. We previously reported our preliminary experience with the technique and we adopted the voice restoration approach based on the concept of the near total laryngectomy thereafter.

Methods: Forty five patients with histologically proven squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx were included in this study (between January 1998 and February 2001). They were 42 males and 3 females with a mean age of 52.6 years. Criteria for selection were a normal vocal process and arytenoid cartilage on the opposite side of the lesion as evidenced by endoscopy and CT scan with no major subglottic extension. In two patients supraglottic laryngectomy was carried out and in four other patients, complete tumor extirpation necessitated total laryngectomy. Accordingly, near total laryngectomy was carried out in the remaining 39 patients. Following a near total laryngectomy, where all laryngeal mucosa and cartilages are resected sparing the contralateral arytenoid cartilage with the overlying mucosa and surrounding musculature, the shunt was created by tubing the remaining mucosa with augmentation by pyriform sinus mucosa if necessary. The resulting tube was fashioned over 14 FG catheter for diameter control only and the remaining muscles were sutured over the tube. A permanent tracheostomy was established. Voice training was started postoperatively following resumption of oral feeding.

Results: Only one patient died in the immediate postoperative period due to massive myocardial infarction. One patient developed reactionary hemorrhage that was explored and controlled. Minor salivary fistula developed in nine patients (23.1%) and all were managed conservatively, none required intervention. Two patients (7.6%) had a retracted tracheostomy that required refashioning. Thirteen patients (33.3%) suffered transient aspiration that resolved spontaneously, non required intervention. Six patients developed recurrent disease (15.8%). The overall two year disease free survival was 76%. None of the cases developed laryngeal mucosal recurrences. Intelligible speech was achieved in 31 patients (81.6%). In the seven patients with shunt failure, insertion of a one way valve was successful in five patients in restoring a good quality voice.

Conclusion: Near total laryngectomy is an oncologically safe procedure with acceptable complications that are well tolerated. It represents an ideal solution for patients with advanced T3 and T4 laryngeal cancer. Voice quality is very good and it does not require further management as is the case with prosthetic voice shunt valves.