Type of Surgery
Information

Last updated: 11/24/2009
Laryngectomy is often successful in curing early-stage cancers. However, it requires major lifestyle changes and there is a risk of severe psychological stress from unsuccessful adaptations. Laryngectomees must learn new ways of speaking, they must...
be constantly concerned about the care of their stoma. Serious problems can occur if water or other foreign material enters the lungs through an unprotected stoma. Also, women who undergo partial laryngectomy or who learn some types of artificial speech will have a deep voice similar to that of a man. For some women this presents psychological challenges. As with any major operation, there is a risk of infection. Infection is of particular concern to laryngectomees who have chosen to have a voice prosthesis implanted, and is one of the major reasons for having to remove the device.
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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.
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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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