A personal experience with subtotal and conservation surgery as treatment for laryngeal cancer

Summary A personal technique for laryngeal cancer reconstructive surgery is presented and discussed. The functional and therapeutic purpose of this surgery is to broaden its indications and to improve functional results. In particular, our surgical technique involves removal of the soft internal part of the cricoid cartilage (mucosa, submucosa and perichondrium), which is otherwise conserved. Satisfactory functional results can be achieved by: (a) modeling of two symmetrical pseudoarytenoids; (b) an anterior epiglottiplasty or the use of a Hiranandani base-of-the-tongue flap to close the anterior gap (if present); (c) muscular flap lateral-plasty avoiding a cricoidhyoidpexy.