Phonosurgery techniques after partial laryngectomy

Abstract

Voice quality considerations in patients undergoing partial laryngectomy are secondary to oncological surgery. The need for adequate airway and swallow also precedes voice considerations. However, after the cancer has been cured, dysphonia becomes a major impact on the quality of life. This prompts many patients to seek further treatment for improving voice after partial laryngectomy. The laryngectomy defect is variable and may result in defects of hard or soft tissue. This study will describe four operative techniques to rehabilitate the voice after partial laryngectomy. The techniques used are those from phonosurgery and include buccal mucosal graft implantation and resurfacing, lipoinjection, laryngeal skeleton reconstruction, and thyroplasty with medialization laryngoplasty. Successful phonosurgical rehabilitation should consider the needs of the patient, a complete analysis of the preoperative defect during phonation, and analysis of the defect with computer tomographic scan evaluation of the larynx.