Subtotal laryngectomy with cricohyoidopexy for supraglottic carcinoma: review of 61 cases.

BACKGROUND

Subtotal laryngectomy with cricohyoidopexy is a functional laryngectomy suitable for treatment of supraglottic carcinomas. This procedure consists of resection of the thyroid cartilage, the paraglottic space, the epiglottis, and the entire pre-epiglottic space. The cricoid cartilage, the hyoid bone, and at least one arytenoid cartilage are spared.

METHODS

Between 1973 and 1990, we used subtotal laryngectomy with cricohyoidopexy to treat 61 successive patients with supraglottic carcinomas. The data were collected by a review of patient records. The cancers were stages T1 (2), T2 (41), T3 (14), and T4 (4), according to the 1979 American Joint Committee on Cancer staging criteria.

RESULTS

No patient died postoperatively. Forty-nine (80%) were able to eat normally before the 28th day. A follow-up analysis showed survival rates of 83% at 3 years and 79% at 5 years.

CONCLUSION

We propose subtotal laryngectomy with cricohyoidopexy for the surgical treatment of supraglottic carcinomas extending to the true vocal cord, the ventricle, and the posterior third of the false vocal cord.