[Application of microsurgery in diagnosis and treatment of larynx diseases]

was analyzing cases of laryngeal diseases and their location that required treatment by surgical procedure as well as analyzing complications resulting from microsurgery of the larynx and their location during surgical procedures and treatment performed in the Otolaryngology Clinic at Military Institute of the Health Services Central Military Hospital in Warsaw (years 1994-2003).

We analyzed 713 patients, of which 248 were women (34.8%) and 465 were men (65.2%) aged between 12 and 80 (the average age was 49.4 +/- 11.8), who were diagnosed as requiring microsurgery of the larynx using the Kleinsasser's set together with operating microscope and CO2 laser in selected cases.

The total of 713 microsurgical operations was performed in the larynx area. The largest group were the patients who were diagnosed as having polyps (33.0%), chronic laryngitis (19.6%) and an established diagnosis of laryngeal carcinoma. Complications were observed in 416 patients (58.3%).

Microsurgery of the larynx was the most often applied form of treatment of vocal fold polyps, chronic laryngitis and laryngeal carcinoma; pathological changes that require microsurgical treatment are mostly located in the epiglottis and the central part of the glottis whilst the major complications resulting from the microsurgery of the larynx are limited to superficial damage of the mucous membrane, mostly on the lips.