Medknow Publications on behalf of Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery
Abstract
Defects in the laryngopharynx following surgical excision of the tumors
can be involving either part or full of the circumference of the lumen.
The methods of reconstruction use skin or mucosal lined surface, which
have their own merits and demerits. Advent of free flaps have given the
surgeon choice of multiple flaps which could take their place instead
of a gastric pull up which entails mediastinal dissection. The article
reviews the methods available and discusses the relative merits and
indications of these, in partial and full lumen reconstruction of the
laryngopharynx. Loss of the capacity to speak is a grave morbidity
associated with these procedures and there have been significant
advances in the rehabilitation of speech after laryngectomy. The
current status of the methods of speech rehabilitation is discussed in
detail. The reader will at the end, be presented with an algorithmic
approach to choose the method of reconstruction depending on the size
and site of the defect, as practiced the authors′ service
