A nine-year institutional experience with near-total laryngectomy

Background Pearsonʹs near-total laryngectomy (NTL) is an alternative procedure to total laryngectomy in selected patients with advanced laryngeal cancer. Based on our experience with NTL for >9 years, we present here the functional results, complications, and survival rates. Methods A retrospective study was carried out from January 1993 to May 2002. We studied 15 patients with advanced laryngeal, oropharyngeal, and hypopharyngeal cancer who underwent NTL. Survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results The most common complication was fistula (8 of 15) followed by minor aspiration (4 of 15 patients). Eleven patients (73.5%) attained a good voice; 3 patients (19.9%) obtained a bad voice; and 1 did not achieved vocal ability. Three patients (19.9%) had local recurrence; no patients had neck recurrence; and 2 patients (13.3%) had distant metastasis. Six patients (40%) died from their disease, and 2 (13.3%) patients died from other causes. The 3-year actuarial survival rate was 81.6%. Conclusions NTL is useful in the treatment of selected patients with advanced laryngeal, oropharyngeal, and hypopharyngeal cancer and results in good control and survival rates. Satisfactory functional results can be attained in the majority of patients. When the surgical margins are positive or close, TL must be carried out.