Abstract
Organ and function preservation strategies for laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer consist of chemoradiation, open partial laryngopharyngectomy and transoral surgery. Among them, transoral surgery is gaining attention for its reduced invasiveness, rapid recovery and greater postoperative function. To perform a transoral en bloc tumor resection, we built a new surgical system: transoral videolaryngoscopic surgery (TOVS). In this surgical setting, a distending laryngoscope and a high definition laryngeal rigid endoscope were used to display a wide view on the monitor. The tumor was resected by using fine laparoscopic surgical instruments such as forceps, scissors and needle electrocautery.
To perform transoral surgery safely, the first step is to understand the surgical anatomy from the inside of the laryngopharyngeal lumen. From the experience of cadaver dissection and many case series, transoral surgical anatomy was described with a schema.
