Horizontovertical laryngectomy for supraglottic carcinoma

Recent decades have seen the expansion of indications for partial laryngectomy. This study focused on the application of horizontovertical laryngectomy for T2 and selected T3 and T4 supraglottic carcinomas. An osteomuscular flap was designed to reconstruct the laryngeal defect to preserve all the essential laryngeal functions. Seventy-six patients treated between November 1979 and October 1990 were reviewed retrospectively. All but two were followed up for at least 5 years. There were 11 cases of T2, 57 cases of T3, and 8 cases of T4 tumors. The survival rates of 7 cases of stage II, 56 cases of stage III, and 13 cases of stage IV carcinoma were 100%, 84.3%, and 74.3%, respectively. The functional recovery was satisfactory; 78.4% of 74 patients underwent decannulation, and all but one patient resumed a normal diet. This study showed that conservation surgery is reliable for selected supraglottic cancers, even for those lesions that extend beyond the confines of the supraglottis.