Background: Preservation of the larynx after reseccarcinoma of the posterior wall of the hypopharynx. Β© 1997 John tion of a pharyngeal tumor remains a challenging problem for the Wiley & Sons, Inc. Head Neck 19: 137-142, 1997. head and neck surgeon.
Keywords: forearm free flap; free jejunal patch graft; preserva-Methods: Nine patients with T1 or T2 carcinoma of the postetion of the larynx; carcinoma of the posterior wall of the hyporior wall of the hypopharynx (UICC 1987), who were treated surgipharynx cally between 1984 and 1994, were studied. All patients underwent surgical resection of the tumor with laryngeal preservation and immediate reconstruction with free flap transfer. A free forearm flap was transferred in four patients and a free jejunal patch Microsurgical free tissue transfers have faciligraft, in five patients.
tated progress in head and neck reconstruction.
Results: There was one flap loss, due to venous thrombosis.
After radical ablation of advanced cancer, a large
Successful larynx preservation was achieved in the remaining and complex tissue defect can be repaired in one eight patients (89%). Although there was one local control failure, stage using this technique. [1][2][3][4] three patients remained free of disease for more than 5 years.
Conclusions: Laryngeal preservation surgery using a free flap
Regarding a case with localized cancer, the treatment goal is to resect the minimal amount of tissue that will not compromise the tumor extirpation but will result in the least functional This paper was presented at the 37th annual meeting of Japan Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, held in Tokyo, April 7, 1994. morbidity. Preservation of the larynx after resection of a pharyngeal tumor is therefore a chal-Correspondence to: Dr. Nakatsuka lenging problem for the head and neck surgeon.