title: Laser treatment of symptomatic anterior pharyngeal pouches after laryngectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND. An anterior pharyngeal pouch is a common anatomic variation after total laryngectomy. The exact part the pouch has to play in postlaryngectomy swallowing disorders is unknown but might be bigger than expected.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine patients with a symptomatic pouch were treated with CO2 laser and questioned about pre- and postoperative complaints.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight out of nine patients noticed an obvious improvement of their swallowing complaints after laser surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the results, it is concluded that CO2-laser treatment with division of the bar of tissue posterior to the pouch is seen as a safe and simple way to treat patients for symptoms that can be wrongly attributed to a total laryngectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Pennings
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: van den Hoogen
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Marres
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007825:Laryngectomy; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010614:Pharynx / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome