Laser surgery - the optimal technique for partial laryngectomies

David Collins had an earache. It was not an ailment that the 66-year-old was accustomed to having. His doctor treated it, but it didn’t go away. Then David’s voice started to get gravelly, so he decided to see an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat specialist).

“The specialist didn’t like what he saw,” David recalls. “He did a biopsy and found I had cancer of the vocal cords and voice box! He wanted to start radiation then and there, so I did. I had daily radiation for six weeks after that.”

But after all the radiation, David could barely speak and had trouble with swallowing. Several weeks later, his otolaryngologist did another biopsy, revealing that the cancer was still there.

“They couldn’t give me any more radiation,” David says. “The next step was to remove my vocal cords and voice box. That wasn’t a good option in my mind, so my doctor referred me to UW Medical Center to see Dr. Ernest Weymuller. “I really didn’t want to lose my voice. Dr. Weymuller told me that they could do a partial laryngectomy so I wouldn’t lose all of my voice box,” David recalls.

Standard partial laryngectomies performed after radiation would predispose David to poor swallowing function and aspiration of food (food going into the lungs), Dr. Weymuller, UW professor and chairman of otolaryngology - head and neck surgery, told him. Research has demonstrated that swallowing function is critical to quality of life. David’s swallowing would be better if they removed the entire voice box.

Dr. Weymuller called David to tell him about an endoscopic laser surgery technique used for partial laryngectomies. The procedure would maintain function while removing cancer and cause less damage to tissue than radiation or open surgery.

David’s swallowing is normal and his speech is improved.. His voice is quiet and sounds hoarse, but at least he can speak.

“People need to quit accepting drastic surgery,” David says. “There has to be something better. There was for me.”