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Published on: January 7, 2019
T-Shaped Pharyngoplasty: Assessing the Impact of Stapler Use on Fistula Development
Sanem Okşan Erkan1, Nur Yücel Ekici2, Ayşe Karaoğullarından3
1Adana City Training and Research Hospital, ENT Department, University of Health and Science, Adana, Turkey.
Introduction:
We aimed to compare the results of pharyngoplasty by two different stapler techniques after total laryngectomy in terms of fistula formation.
Methods:
Fifty-nine patients who had undergone total laryngectomy were enrolled in the study. The patients were divided into three groups according to the type of closure of the pharyngoesophageal defect. Group 1: Pharyngeal defects were closed in a T-type shape by stapler, Group 2: Pharyngeal defects were repaired in a vertical plane using stapler, and Group 3: The control group in which manual closure with suture material was performed. Demographic data, pharyngocutaneous fistula (PCF) rate, pharyngeal closure time during surgery, the transition time to oral feeding, and hospital stay duration (time) of patients were evaluated and compared in the postoperative period.
Results:
No significant difference was found in the demographic parameters and PCF rates between the groups (p > 0.05). Restarting oral feeding and length of hospital stay did not differ significantly between the groups (p > 0.05).
Conclusion:
There is no difference between T-shaped closure and vertical closure in terms of fistula formation in stapler pharyngoplasty. The T-shaped closure method is comfortable and effective, due to the anatomy of the jaw in the vallecular region and therefore can be preferred as vertical closure.
