Laryngeal function preservation and voice reconstruction in surgical treatment of hypopharyngeal and cervical esophageal carcinoma

Objective: To evaluate surgical treatment methods for preserving laryngeal function and voice reconstruction for patients with hypopharyngeal and cervical esophageal carcinoma.

Methods: 16 patients with hypopharyngeal and cervical esophageal carcinoma were treated with preserving larynx in 8 cases, partial laryngectomy with laryngeal reconstruction in 3, voice reconstruction by blom-singer technique without laryngeal function preservation in 5. The types of hypopharyngeal and cervical esophageal reconstruction included gastric transpostion, pectoralis major myocutaneous flap, free forearm flap, delto-pectoral skin flap, sternocleidomastoid myocutaneous flap, platysma myocutaneous flap and laryngeal-tracheal flap following carcinoma resection.

Results: Deglutition restored in all patients except one who died of heat-break in 14th day after the operation. 13 patients rehabilitated speech, total laryngeal function restoration in 6 cases, partial laryngeal function restoration in 2 cases. The overall following-up was from 2 to 5 years. For the 5 cases with blom-singer voice reconstruction, all of them restored speech function.

Conclusions: To improve life quality, laryngeal function preservation and voice reconstruction should be done for patients with hypopharyngeal and cervical esophageal carcinoma. Surgery methods should be carefully selected according to tumor's site, staging, patient's general condition and age.