Abstract
A 51-year-old male suffered from bloody sputum and dyspnea after a traffic accident. Although emergency oro-tracheal intubation was carried, he symptoms became exacerbated. Finally, he was sent to our clinic. A CT scan revealed fractures of the thyroid cartilage and emphysema in the subcutaneous and mediastinal regions. An inferior tracheotomy was performed and general anesthesia was introduced to reduce the displaced bone fragments. The laryngeal lumen was completely separated between the true and false vocal cords, and the left pyriform sinus and the posterior wall of the hypopharynx were also completely separated. These wounds were primarily sutured. The tracheostoma was closes 46 days after the operation. Approximately one year after the operation, even though a mild degree of hoarseness persisted, the patient had no difficulty in swallowing. The uneventful course of this patient suggested that the immediate reconstruction of the soft tissue and fractured bone, when possible, is a key to restoring the laryngeal functions when treating laryngeal trauma patients.
