[The functional outcomes of open vertical resections of the larynx]

The early diagnostics of the malignant tumours of the larynx provides a basis for the timely beginning of their conservative treatment and endolaryngeal surgical interventions. However, neither the conservative treatment nor endolaryngeal surgery ensures the sufficiently efficient treatment when the tumour spreads over the anterior commissure, subglottic space, and/or laryngeal ventricles. The open surgical resection of the larynx is indicated for the management of the patients presenting with this condition. Our experience is based on the performance of vertical resection of the larynx in 98 patients including the fronto-lateral and extended fronto-lateral interventions in 63 and 35 of them, respectively. The formation of the malignant tumour is known to result in the alteration of the acoustic characteristics of the patient's voice as compared to the initially normal ones in the preceding period. Specifically, the mean values of the fundamental tone frequency increases, the intensity of the sound signal decreases, and the amplitudes of the fundamental tone harmonics tend to be reduced. At the same time, both the dispersion and the variability of the acoustic characteristics being studied undergo an enhancement in comparison with the normal values. Open resection of the larynx with its simultaneous endoscopic correction made it possible to restore the respiratory and vocal functions in 90.8% and 92.1% of the treated patients respectively.