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 paraglot tic space, the epiglottis, and the entire pre-epiglottic space. The cr icoid cartilage, the hyoid bone, and at least one arytenoid cartilage are spared. METHODS: Between 1973 and 1990, we used subtotal laryngect omy with cricohyoidopexy to treat 61 successive patients with supraglo ttic carcinomas. The data were collected by a review of patient record s. The cancers were stages T1 (2), T2 (41), T3 (14), and T4 (4), accor ding to the 1979 American Joint Committee on Cancer staging criteria. RESULTS: No patient died postoperatively. Forty-nine (80%) were able t o eat normally before the 28th day. A follow-up analysis showed surviv al 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 ventr icle, and the posterior third of the false vocal cord.