Type of Surgery
Information

Last updated: 11/24/2009
A laryngectomy is the partial or complete surgical removal of the voice box (larynx).
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The lungs are comprised of thousands of alveoli or air sacs. These structures are only one or two cells thick at places but they are able to separate blood and inhaled air. Oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged across this thin membrane, as the narrated animation explains.
Other Information
Laryngectomy is the removal of the larynx and separation of the airway from the mouth, nose, and esophagus. The laryngectomee breathes through an opening in the neck, a stoma. It is done in cases of laryngeal cancer. However, many laryngeal cancer cases are now treated only with radiation and chemotherapy or other laser procedures, and laryngectomy is performed when those treatments fail to conserve the larynx.
Other Information
According to the latest data from the National Center for Health Statistics, 878,000 ear surgeries were performed in the United States in 2003.
From: National Center for Health Statistics
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