[The effects of pharyngeal neurectomy and cricopharyngeal myotomy on postoperative deglutition in patients undergoing horizontal supraglottic laryngectomy].
OBJECTIVE
We compared the effects of pharyngeal neurectomy (PN) and cricopharyngeal myotomy (CPM) on postoperative deglutition in patients undergoing horizontal supraglottic laryngectomy (HSL).


METHODS
The study included 20 male patients (mean age 53 years; range 39 to 67 years) who underwent HSL for squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. Tumor stages were T1 in two, T2 in 16 , and T3 in two patients. None had received radiotherapy before surgery. In order to decrease cricopharyngeal muscle spasm following HSL, the patients were randomly chosen for CPM (n=11) and PN (n=9). The two groups were compared with respect to the time to postoperative oral food intake.


RESULTS
No significant difference was found with respect to the time to postoperative oral feeding (mean 27 days, range 16 to 45 days in the CPM group; mean 25 days, range 16 to 36 days in the PN group; p>0.05). No significant relationship existed between primary tumor stages and the time to oral feeding (p>0.05). No complications were encountered in the two patient groups.


CONCLUSIONS
In supraglottic partial laryngectomies, PN seems to be as effective as CPM to decrease postoperative cricopharyngeal muscle spasm, with additional advantages of ease and safety.
Ceylan
Alper
A
Department of Otolaryngology, Medicine Faculty of Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey. aceylan@gazi.edu.tr
Köybaşioğlu
Ahmet
A
Asal
Korhan
K
Kizil
Yusuf
Y
Inal
Erdoğan
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D007825:Laryngectomy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010609:Pharyngeal Muscles / Q000294:innervation; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology