Laser treatment of symptomatic anterior pharyngeal pouches after laryngectomy.
case_series · Level IV
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 10376749.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
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. Nine patients with a symptomatic pouch were treated with CO2 laser and questioned about pre- and postoperative complaints. Eight out of nine patients noticed an obvious improvement of their swallowing complaints after laser surgery. 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.
Medical subject headings
- Deglutition Disorders
- Laryngectomy
- Laser Therapy
- Pharynx
- Postoperative Complications