Laryngectomy

Laryngectomy means surgical removal of the larynx. The surgery is usually done because of a malignant cancer of the throat. The surgery may remove the complete larynx, in which case the term total laryngectomy is used. In a partial laryngectomy, a more limited and circumscribed resection is undertaken. Laryngectomy affects the patient’s ability to produce voice for speech. The surgery also affects airway control, eating, and swallowing, but the emphasis of this entry is on speech communication. For denoting the individual undergoing the surgery, the homophone laryngectomee is sometimes used.

The framework of the larynx is provided by the hyoid bone and a set of cartilages. From cranial to caudal, these are the unpaired epiglottis, thyroid, and cricoid cartilages. The position of the paired arytenoid cartilages ...