Ear, nose and throat

Consultants

Larynx cancer

Cancer of the larynx is a major pathology and the ultimate purpose of our specialty unit, since we are talking about a malignant process.

It is important that it be diagnosed early. If you suffer a persistent dysphonia for more than ten days, and particularly if you smoke and drink alcohol, we recommend you visit an ENT.

Today there are techniques that can restore the voice in patients who have suffered mutilation to the larynx, through an oesophageal voice and other speech prostheses.

The surgical technique used will depend on the size and location of the cancerous lesion.

Total laryngectomy

This involves removing the larynx, and with it the patient’s voice. Afterwards the patient will have a permanent tracheostomy (hole in the trachea).

Partial laryngectomy

his technique tries to preserve part of the larynx, and with it part of the voice. This technique can be used in very concrete cases where there are well-defined tumours in only one side of the larynx. Afterwards the patient will have a temporary tracheostomy. This allows patients to retain their voice, though the quality will be very low.

Supraglottic laryngectomy

This surgery is limited to removing the area that is above the vocal folds, where the tumour is located. Patients retains good voice quality, and a temporary tracheostomy will be required except in some cases where the surgery is done with a CO2 Laser.

Cordectomy

This involves the removal of one vocal fold, keeping the larynx intact. This technique is limited to small tumours that are confined to the affected vocal fold and that are not close to the anterior commissure. The voice post-surgery is somewhat worse than in supraglottic surgeries, though it is better than in the partial surgeries. Depending on whether surgery is performed with a laser, a temporary tracheostomy may not be required.