Supracricoid laryngectomy: oncological and functional outcome.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the oncological outcome and postoperative course, mortality, morbidity, and functional results of supracricoid laryngectomy (SCL).

Patients And Methods: The study included 15 consecutive patients who underwent SCL for primary laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and had a follow-up period of more than two years. Unilateral arytenoidectomy was required in seven of the SCLs. All of the patients with supraglottic tumors and the patients with glottic T2-3 tumors underwent neck dissection in the same session with SCL. Adjuvant radiotherapy was applied in two patients with pN2 and pN3, respectively.

Results: The mean time for starting oral feeding was 6 days (range 3-10 days) and the time for adequate oral taking was 12.5 days (range 7-25 days). Nasogastric tube was removed between the seventh and 49th postoperative days (mean 15.7 days). All the patients were decannulated successfully in 10 to 38 days (mean 18 days) and had a satisfactory swallowing, a well-understood speech, and an intelligible voice quality. The hospitalization period was 12 to 46 days (mean 23.4 days). The durations of adequate oral feeding, nasogastric tube removal, decannulation, and hospitalization were longer in patients with one arytenoid preserved than those with bilateral arytenoids preserved, but the difference was not statistically significant. Postoperative complications were observed in three patients. Wound infection was found in two patients in the early postoperative period. One patient with a T3 supraglottic tumor that involved the medial wall of the pyriform sinus developed aspiration pneumonia twice in six months after the first operation. This patient underwent total laryngectomy seven months after the first operation. Recurrences and mortality did not occur in the follow-up period. The mean follow-up of the patients was 50.3 months (range 26-80 months).

Conclusion: Supracricoid laryngectomy has obvious functional advantages over total laryngectomy with similar local control rates.