2017 Volume 63 Issue 6 Pages 228-232
Total laryngectomy is a common procedure of choice for advanced laryngeal cancer. Pharyngocutaneous fistula is a troublesome complication in the postoperative period after total laryngectomy, with the incidence rate being higher in cases with a poor general status and salvage surgery after chemoradiotherapy. We herein report a case of total laryngectomy using a submental island flap in a 62-year-old male with laryngeal carcinosarcoma and a poor general condition. The tumor invaded the tongue base, thus, the postoperative defect of the pharynx was expected to be large. Total laryngectomy was performed using the submental island flap to close the defect, and the post-operative course was satisfactory without the development of a pharyngocutaneous fistula. Reconstruction using a submental island flap after total laryngectomy may therefore be effective for preventing the onset of postoperative pharyngocutaneous fistula.
