Radical Laryngectomy with Bilateral Neck Dissection in Continuity

Abstract

The sole purpose of this paper is to present a systematization of a surgical technique used in our surgical service for dealing with advanced cancer of the larynx and hypopharynx with bilateral cervical metastases. The principle of excision and dissection in continuity is accepted by most of the authors for treating advanced laryngeal and hypopharnygeal cancer. The primary lesion, together with the intervening lymphatics and the metastatic lymph nodes, is thus removed in "en bloc" resection. Crile, in 1898, was the first to call attention to the principle of excision and dissection in continuity in dealing with cancer of the larynx. Nowadays, many outstanding surgeons (Del Sel,^* Alonso,¹ Ogura,² Bello,² Work,³ Raven,⁴ Pietrantoni,† Scevola,⁶ Agazzi,‡ Nicelli,§ Bocca,¹¹ Meda,¹² Cracovaner,¹³ Copeland,¹⁴ etc.) advocate the same principle. In our service most of the cases are advanced and their most frequent site is