See Picture 1 caption for cricothyroid entry during laryngofissure. View reconstruction details within Pictures 3-6 for imbrication laryngoplasty. Other modifications are described previously for historical interest. Hospital stays of less than 1 week are the rule. Closer follow-up is necessary in the early postoperative period.
Survival depends on local control and is similar.
Monitor patients for development of second malignant neoplasms of the head and neck, lung, and esophagus. Many patients, however, are better served by avoiding the long-term morbidity of radiation. Since tissue has a lifetime maximum radiation limit, and field cancerization is common in these patients, there is also a good argument in favor of reserving radiation for later, less surgically amenable tumors. Laser surgery is gaining popularity. Debate will persist.