Slides Flashcards
What are some important points to discuss in preoperative and postoperative laryngtectomy counseling?
a. Preoperative and Postoperative Orientation
i. Medical concerns
ii. Tell me what you know about surgery (surgeon/nurse/friend)
iii. Fear of death
iv. High cure rate
v. Describe surgery.
vi. Pre-op visit by laryngectomee?
b. Communication
i. No post op voice
ii. Provide info on different forms of Alaryngeal speech
iii. How does Rx take?
iv. How much does it cost?
v. Hearing evaluation
vi. Should you practice pre-surgically?
c. General orientation
i. Return to employment.
ii. Activities: swimming, fishing
iii. Taste and smell
iv. Eating/swallowing
d. General care
i. Cleaning stoma tube
ii. Cleaning stoma
iii. Stoma covers
iv. Humidity
v. Shaving
vi. Sleeping
Describe the five stages associated with grief/loss relative to laryngectomy.
a. Denial
i. When the patient doesn’t accept a diagnosis
ii. Going center to center to get retested.
b. Anger
i. Initially they make appear angry at you.
c. Bargaining
i. With a deity or themselves
d. Depression
i. Early psychotherapy is usually not a good option because of the inability to talk after surgery.
e. Acceptance
i. They have accepted their diagnosis
Generally discuss the early history of laryngectomy.
1829: Albers removed a larynx from a dog.
1866: Patrick Watson removed a larynx from a human.
1873: Billroth removed human larynx to treat cancer.
By 1887, 103 laryngectomys had been performed: 39% died from the immediate effects of the operation, 20% died of recurrence.
1892: George Crile performed the first laryngectomy in the US.
1925: laryngectomy becomes accepted procedure.
List three ways of increasing the humidity of air inhaled for laryngectomees.
a. HME
b. Sleeping with a humidifier
c. Living in a more humid place
d. Taking a shower
Why does hearing loss affect the communication ability of both laryngectomees and their spouses?
All Alaryngeal speech is at a low level so it is hard for them to hear themselves speak as well as other people have difficulty hearing them
How is eating/swallowing effected by laryngectomy?
- Many patients complain of loss and smell
* Sometimes it comes back and sometimes it does not - Radiation may impact swallowing
- Decrease taste
- Decrease overall enjoyment of eating
- Increase in the length of time required to eat meals
What causes cancer?
a. Cancer occurs when
i. There is damage to a cell’s suicide program
ii. Cells do not receive or recognize suicide signals
iii. There are defective genes for identifying DNA defects
iv. Defective genes override suicide
b. Inheritance
c. Virus
d. Chemicals
e. Radiation
List the risk factors for laryngeal cancer.
a. Tobacco
b. Alcohol
c. Poor Nutrition
d. GERD/LPR
e. Papilloma virus
f. Weakened Immune System
TAPGPW
List the general symptoms of laryngeal cancer.
a. Persistent cough
b. Persistent hoarseness
c. Prolonged sore throat/ear pain
d. Dysphagia
e. Dyspnea/stridor
f. Unexplained weight loss
g. Lump in throat/neck
PPPDDUL
What is surgically removed in a typical total laryngectomy? CATTHINE
a. Cricoid and @ two tracheal rings (Where the larynx is attached to the trachea)
b. Arytenoids
c. Thyroid
d. True and false vocal cords
e. Hyoid
f. Intrinsic muscles of the larynx except cricopharyngeus
i. Cricopharyngeus
1. Surgeons usually try to save some of that muscles because that is where the prothesis will vibrate.
g. Neck dissection (maybe)
1. If there is evidence that the cancer has left the larynx and entered the lymph system. Leaves that side of the next really leather like and tough
h. Epiglottis
In general, how is laryngeal cancer treated?
a. Radiation Therapy
b. Surgery
c. Chemotherapy
Describe the anatomy of the esophagus.
a. Posterior to trachea
b. Extends from C5-6 to T11
c. @ ½ inch diameter at pharynx
d. @ 1 inch diameter at stomach
e. Made up of two type of fibers
* Outer longitudinal fibers
* Inner circular fibers
How is the PE segment innervated in normals? In laryngectomees?
a. The area of the PE segment is innervated by one branch of the Superial Laryngaeal Nerve but most of it is innervated by the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve
b. During a laryngectomee a portion of the superior laryngeal nerve is cut
c. The RLN does not get cut
d. Innervation to the PE segment is retained
* If it wasn’t the UES and LES would be hypertonic (floppy)
How would a Stage 1 laryngeal cancer usually be treated?
- Radiation Therapy
- Cordectomy
- Subtotal/Total laryngectomy
What is a supraglottal laryngectomy? hemilaryngectomy?
a. Supraglottic laryngectomy
* Thyroid cartilage above ventricle
* Epiglottis
* Aryepiglottic fold
* Usually the hyoid bone
b. the surgeon removes part of the thyroid cartilage, including the underlying vocal cord or cords. This type is not done very often anymore as radiation is usually the first step of treatment for tumors on the vocal folds.