2007 Volume 19 Issue 2 Pages 65-69
Both radiotherapy and laser surgery are known to be useful treatments for T1 and T2 glottic carcinoma and each modality has advantages and a disadvantages. One advantage of laser surgery is that it preserves the laryngeal function in comparison to other types of surgery. In addition, the indications for laser surgery have recently tended to be expanded. We herein report the indications for laser surgery in the treatment of laryngeal carcinoma, including the selection of the instruments, the surgical techniques in consideration of voice quality, and the outcomes of such surgery at our institution.
Generally the laser surgery is considered to be a suitable procedure for the treatment of T1a glottic carcinoma and T1 supraglottic carcinoma. At our institution laser surgery is indicated for the Tis, T1, and T2 glottic carcinoma, for recurrent cases after radiotherapy, for cases desiring short term hospitalization, and for patients under 70 years of age.
The CO2 laser is often used for a laser surgery on the larynx, because the associated tissue damage tends to be slight. Such laser surgery has important advantages in comparison to radiotherapy. These advantages include a shorter hospitalization and the avoidance of radiation induced cancer. On the other hand, laser surgery has disadvantages associated with local recurrence and the possibility of aggravating the vocal function. In laser surgery, we appropriately select the surgical margin and the depth depending on each case in order to prevent, local recurrence and acoustic disorders.
