2006 Volume 32 Issue 3 Pages 355-359
Materials and methods: Eighty patients underwent vertical partial laryngectomy (VPL) for laryngeal cancer; 43 patients had not been treated previously, and 37 patients had previously received radiation therapy. All but 3 of the patients were male with an average age of 63.6 years (range 47-85). Mean follow-up was more than five years.
Results: The larynx preservation rate and the local control rate were 79.5% and 80.0%. Resection of one arytenoid cartilage influenced the post-operative recovery of the swallowing function, although resection of the arch of the cricoid cartilage did not reduce the function. The nasogastric tube was removed after a mean duration of 7 days. The contralateral recurrence rate was low. The paraglottic space was infiltrated in 23 cases. The local control rate was statistically lower in patients with positive paraglottic space invasion.
Conclusion: Post-operative swallowing function recovered early after VPL. Preoperative assessment of the involvement of the paraglottic space is necessary in planning this treatment modality for laryngeal cancer.
