Complications and functional outcome after supracricoid partial laryngectomy with cricohyoidoepiglottopexy

We present a review of the postoperative course, complications, and functional outcome of 190 patients consecutively treated with supracricoid partial laryngectomy with cricohyoidoepiglottopexy. The average times until removal of the tracheostomy and nasogastric feeding tubes were 9 and 16 days, respectively. The postoperative mortality rate was 1%. Major complications included pneumonia from aspiration, cervical wound infection, symptomatic laryngocele, ruptured pexis, laryngeal chondroradionecrosis, and laryngeal stenosis in 8.5%, 4.2%, 3.1%, 1%, 0.5%, and 0.5% of the patients, respectively. Completion total laryngectomy, permanent gastrostomy, and permanent tracheostomy were requested in 0.5% of the patients. Normal swallowing without gastrostomy and respiration without tracheostomy was achieved by the first postoperative year in 98.4% (187/190) of the patients. This article presents a univariate analysis of the potential correlation between various variables and the duration of tracheostomy and the length of time the nasogastric feeding tubes were inserted, the mortality incidence and causes, the incidence and type of the various complications, and the duration of hospitalization. Comparison of our data with the reported functional results after vertical partial laryngectomy suggested that supracricoid partial laryngectomy with cricohyoidoepiglottopexy does not result in an increased rate of postoperative complications.