Laryngeal reconstruction following CO2laser surgery for glottic cancer

Long-term quality of life after transoral laser microsurgery for laryngeal carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Previous studies showed good short-term Quality of life (QOL) after Transoral Laser Microsurgery (TLM) for laryngeal cancer. Here, we aimed to evaluate QOL after TLM in the long-term.

METHODS

Prospective longitudinal study. Sixty-two consecutive disease-free patients were evaluated using UW-QOL v4 and SF-12 questionnaires, 1 and 5 years after TLM. Changes over time were assessed according to age, location, and tumor size. Long-term VHI-10 was also evaluated.

RESULTS

The mean follow-up time was 5.41 ± 2.02 years. No differences in the global UW-QOL score were observed between 1 and 5 years after TLM (1135.00 vs. 1127.20; P = 0.4). Activity worsened slightly in the long-term (93.03 vs. 87.70; P = 0.02). Forty-two and 58% of the patients reported that their health 1 and 5 years after treatment was much better than prior to diagnosis. Initially, 3.3% considered their health much worse, which was reduced to 1.7% at 5 years. SF-12 scores remained unchanged for both physical and mental aspects (P > 0.05). The VHI-10 was 3.81 ± 5.7 for supraglottic and 7.2 ± 9.6 for glottic tumors.

CONCLUSION

Patients treated with TLM present a very good long-term QOL. Only activity deteriorates over time, while voice and swallowing remain satisfactory in the majority of patients. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;114:789-795. © 2016 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Healing process following laser cordectomy of early glottis carcinoma from endoscopic view

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Transoral laser surgery is useful for treating early glottic carcinoma. Wound areas after carbon dioxide (CO2 ) laser surgery are not covered by flaps, delaying healing. The healing process following laser cordectomy is not well understood. In this study, laryngoscopes were used to monitor the normal healing process after laser cordectomy and to determine if there was residual or recurrent disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This prospective case study included 36 patients who underwent CO2 laser surgery for early glottis carcinoma between January 2011 and June 2014 at a university tertiary referral center. Postoperative complications, oncologic results, and mucosal stabilization time were analyzed. Vocal fold stabilization was defined as an absence of gross changes during two consecutive follow-up examinations.

RESULTS

The 3-year overall survival rate was 100% and the 3-year local control rate was 94%. Vocal cord stabilization was observed in 29 patients at a mean 88.1 days, with stabilization associated with the type of cordectomy (P < 0.05). During the wound-healing process, two patients experienced local recurrences. One had a persistent white patch for over 4 months and the other presented with a new mass in a non-operated area. Biopsies of both lesions showed recurrent disease. Postoperative complications included granulation in two patients and anterior commissure adhesion in one.

CONCLUSION

CO2 laser microsurgery is an effective treatment for early glottis carcinoma. Close attention should be paid to delays in healing process after laser surgery. Interventions should be considered for patients with abnormal laryngoscopic appearance or overly prolonged healing. Lasers Surg. Med. 48:483-489, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Treatment of glottal gap]

Glottal gaps can be either physiological or pathological. The latter are multifactorial, predominantly organic in origin and occasionally functional. Organic causes include vocal fold paralysis or scarring, as well as a deficiency or excess of tissue. In addition to loss of the mucosal wave, the degree of hoarseness is primarily determined by the circumferential area of the glottal gap. It is thus important to quantify the extent of glottal insufficiency. Although a patient's symptoms form the basis for treatment decisions, these may be subjective and inadequately reflected by the results of auditory-perceptual evaluation, voice analysis and voice performance tests. The therapeutic approach should always combine phonosurgery with conventional voice therapy methods. Voice therapy utilises all the resources made available by the sphincter model of the aerodigestive tract and knowledge on the mechanism of voice production. The aim of phonosurgery is medialization, reconstruction or reinnervation by injection laryngoplasty or larynx framework surgery. These different methods can be combined and often applied directly after vocal fold surgery (primary reconstruction). In conclusion, the techniques described here can be effectively employed to compensate for glottal gaps.