Alaryngectomyis a surgery in which either part of or the entirelarynx(voice box) is removed.
This article will discuss what a laryngectomy is and its risks.
It will also cover recovery and long-term care.
Halfpoint Images / Getty Images
Halfpoint Images / Getty Images
What Is a Laryngectomy?
A laryngectomy is a surgical procedure to remove a part of or the entire larynx.
This includes removing the epiglottis, vocal folds, hyoid bone, and the thyroid and cricoid cartilage.
The mouth, nose, and esophagus are surgically separated from the airway.
A partial laryngectomy removes part of the larynx and preserves the voice.
The nose and mouth are not surgically separated from the airway.
Laryngectomy vs. Tracheostomy
A laryngectomy removes the larynx.
Breathing is then done through a stoma.
Atracheostomygives access to the windpipe (trachea) through the skin but leaves the voice box intact.
A surgeon may create a tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP) during or after a laryngectomy.
This is a small hole made in thetracheaand theesophagus.
Then a small one-way valve called a tracheoesophageal voice prosthesis is placed into the TEP.
This allows people to have a voice after a complete laryngectomy.
Contraindications
A laryngectomy is a significant surgery that may not be right for everyone.
A laryngectomy carries additional risks that those considering the surgery need to know.
These risks are:
Purpose of Laryngectomy
A laryngectomy removes a damaged or cancerous larynx.
It is performed when other treatments are unsuccessful at treating thecanceror unable to repair the damage.
The goal is to remove the damaged or cancerous areas and restore breathing.
A healthcare provider will schedule necessary tests and appointments before the surgery.
Before surgery, changes may be made to your medications.
Always inform your healthcare provider of your current medications, herbal supplements, and recreational substances.
Sips of water to take medications are permitted.
after you grab arrived at the hospital, you will be taken into a preoperative area.
The medical team will ask you questions and prepare you for the surgery.
This includes having you change into a hospital gown and inserting anintravenous line (IV).
From the pre-op area, you will be brought into the operating room (OR).
The surgery itself takes anywhere from five to nine hours.
Recovery
After surgery for a total laryngectomy, you will not be able to speak.
You will breathe through the stoma that is created.
An oxygen mask or tube will be inserted in the stoma to provide oxygen.
Immediately after surgery, you will not be allowed to eat and will receive nutrition through an IV.
Approximately five to seven days after the surgery, the healthcare provider will have you do a swallow study.
This diagnostic imaging procedure uses anX-rayto see if food goes down correctly when swallowed.
After a laryngectomy, aspeech therapistwill teach you how to speak.
Your speech will be different since the voice box has been removed.
Before discharge, you will be taught how to care for the stoma properly.
Long-Term Care
A laryngectomy will come with many major life changes.
Long-term care will involve maintaining the stoma, relearning how to speak, and relearning how to swallow.
Thestomawill need to be cleaned regularly.
This can be done with a gauze pad dipped in soapy water.
take a stab at remove any crusts that form on the stoma.
The air entering the stoma can be dry.
Relearning how to speak can be frustrating.
There are a few ways people who have had a total laryngectomy speak.
In it, air is pushed down into the esophagus.
The air then moves back up and vibrates in the throat to speak.
Another speech option is with a voice prosthesis valve in the TEP.
When air moves through the valve it allows the user to speak.
The last option for speaking is with an electrolarynx.
This is an electronic gadget that is held up to the throat and turns the vibrations into speech.
Summary
A laryngectomy is a surgical procedure that removes either part of or the entire larynx.
After a total laryngectomy, you will need to breathe through a hole in your neck called a stoma.
You will need to relearn how to speak and swallow.
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American Cancer Society.What is a tracheostomy?
