Throat Cancer Surgery
Throat cancer can be removed from the throat by surgery. There are two types of surgeries for throat cancer depending upon the purpose of surgery. Surgery can be done to remove the cancer cells or to improve the other functions of that part of the body. Generally, pharyngeal cancer is treated with surgery. Surgery is beneficial as there is less chance of any side effects like blockage or bleeding after the surgery.
When the tumor is detected in the early stage, a small surgery can be helpful to remove the cancer cells or surgery is done when the cancer has spread to the distant parts of throat. Reconstructive surgery and Laser Microsurgery are the major two types of surgery used in throat cancer treatment.
Laser Microsurgery
Laser microsurgery is performed for the patients who are suffering from the throat cancer of larynx, pharynx and oral cavity. Most of the cases in throat cancer are treated with this surgery. Generally, throat cancer in early stage and middle stage are treated with laser microsurgery, but sometimes large cancer tumors are also removed from this treatment. Transoral laser microsurgery includes many advantages. They are:
- Protection of the normal tissues during the surgery
- Less effect on the swallowing and speaking functions
- Surgery without tracheostomy
- Short hospital stay
Reconstructive Surgery
Reconstructive surgery known as microvascular reconstructive surgery is necessary to restore the normal functions of body and the healthy cells. It also helps to improve the patient's health after the throat cancer treatment. In some of the cases, tracheostomy is done that include making hole in neck or gastrostomy, hole in abdomen is necessary. These operations are done when the patient's ability to breathe and swallow are severely affected by the advanced throat cancer tumor.
Surgery depends upon many aspects that include the stage of throat cancer, its spread, the age of the patient, the health of patient and the treatment that patient has gone through before the surgery. The doctor needs to study the medical history of the throat cancer patient. It helps the doctor to understand whether that patient had any other type of throat infection before the cancer, what treatment and medicines are used to cure that disease and what can be useful in that condition. This helps to use proper surgical treatment for throat cancer for effective results.
