Laser Surgery Preserves Sensory Pharyngeal Nerve Branches
Laser surgery preserves sensory pharyngeal nerve branches, they report in the February issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.
The risk of aspiration pneumonia is reduced and hospital stays tend to be shorter. Feeding tubes and tracheostomies may still be required, but generally for short periods of time.
To verify the benefits of transoral laser surgery, the authors reviewed the outcomes of 55 patients who underwent transoral laser surgery between 1999 and 2004. Ages ranged from 46 to 87 years.
Tumor resections were performed with a carbon dioxide laser coupled to a microscope. Depending on the size, tumors were removed in one piece or in multiple resections. Neck dissections were performed in 43 patients, and 18 received adjuvant radiotherapy.
At a median follow-up of 24 months, the local control rate was 90%, Dr. Kutter and his associates report. Overall survival was 78%.
There were some complications and endoscopic evaluation recommended 1- 4 months later. Hospitalization was much shorter.
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2007;133:139-144.
Excerpted from Reuters Health via www.cancerpage.com
The risk of aspiration pneumonia is reduced and hospital stays tend to be shorter. Feeding tubes and tracheostomies may still be required, but generally for short periods of time.
To verify the benefits of transoral laser surgery, the authors reviewed the outcomes of 55 patients who underwent transoral laser surgery between 1999 and 2004. Ages ranged from 46 to 87 years.
Tumor resections were performed with a carbon dioxide laser coupled to a microscope. Depending on the size, tumors were removed in one piece or in multiple resections. Neck dissections were performed in 43 patients, and 18 received adjuvant radiotherapy.
At a median follow-up of 24 months, the local control rate was 90%, Dr. Kutter and his associates report. Overall survival was 78%.
There were some complications and endoscopic evaluation recommended 1- 4 months later. Hospitalization was much shorter.
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2007;133:139-144.
Excerpted from Reuters Health via www.cancerpage.com
