Videofluoroscopy of the swallowing act after partial supraglottic laryngectomy by CO(2) laser

The evaluation of functional deglutition in patients after partial supraglottic laryngectomy by CO(2) laser was performed by videofluoroscopy of the swallowing act. We studied 20 patients in PA and LL projections, and the swallowing act, at 25 frames per s, was captured on videotape. Aspiration was found in six patients, four of whom had manifest clinical symptoms of aspiration. Four patients had post-deglutitive, one intra-deglutitive and one both intra- and post-deglutitive aspiration. Other swallowing disturbances or structural deformities were not detected. Dynamic radiological studies of swallowing, such as videofluoroscopy of the swallowing act, can provide valuable information regarding functional results after surgical procedures in the upper aerodigestive tract. Our encouraging results prove the validity of partial supraglottic laryngectomy by CO(2) laser as a method of treatment for carcinoma of the larynx.