gms | German Medical Science

Objectives: The CO₂ laser surgery is a modern therapeutical method in the treatment of laryngeal glottic cancer introduced in medical practice. In the ENT Department Timişoara during the period 01.01.1999–31.12.2008 were operated 261 patients with laryngeal glottic cancer stage T1a (56 patients), T1b (28 patients), T2 (160 patients) and T3 (17 patients) by endoscopic CO₂ laser surgery. The purpose of the study was to analyze the surgical, functional and oncologic results.

Material and Method: Endoscopic laser CO₂ microsurgery was the primary and solitary management for curative resection of the glottic cancer. All operations were performed under general anesthesia with orotrachel intubation; tracheotomy was not necessary. Preoperative evaluation of carcinoma and postoperative control examination included videoendoscopical procedures and CT-scan or sonography of the neck. The mean follow-up was 36 months.

Results: We obtained the following oncologic results: no reccurence of disease in 85,82% (224 patients), local recurrence in the larynx in 14,18% (37 patients). The functional results obtained in our series were very good and good in 73,9% (193 patients) of cases.

Conclusions: The endoscopic CO₂ laser surgery is in our view the elective and preferable surgical method in laryngeal glottic cancer stage T1 and T2 for cure, with same oncologic results and functional results superior to those of conventional surgical procedures when the indications, contraindications, general principles and technique of endoscopic CO₂ laser surgery are correctly applied.