Laryngectomy Essay

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Laryngectomy is partial or total removal of the voice box (larynx). Your larynx is located at the top of your throat. It lets you speak and breathe by allowing air to pass through your throat. After having a laryngectomy, you will no longer be able to breathe out of your mouth. You will have an opening (stoma) in the front of your neck. After your surgery, you will breathe through the stoma.

LET YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER KNOW ABOUT:
• Any allergies you have.
• All medicines you are taking, including vitamins, herbs, eye drops, creams, and over-the-counter medicines.
• Previous problems you or members of your family have had with the use of anesthetics.
• Current steroid use.
• Previous surgeries you have had.
• Any blood disorders …show more content…

○ A medicine to make you fall sleep (general anesthetic).
• You may have a flexible tube (catheter) put into your bladder to drain urine.
• You may have a tube put through your nose or mouth that goes into your stomach (nasogastric tube). The nasogastric tube removes digestive fluids and prevents you from throwing up or feeling nauseous.
• A U-shaped incision will be made under one side of your jawbone, just beneath your ear, and will continue below your larynx and up to the other side of your jawbone.
• The larynx is separated from the windpipe (trachea) and removed.
• Your surgeon will make the stoma by making an incision in the trachea, at the bottom part of the first incision.
• The new opening to the trachea will be stitched so that it opens up into the stoma.
• The incisions will be closed with stitches (sutures).
The procedure may vary among health care providers and hospitals.

AFTER THE PROCEDURE
• You will have some pain. Pain medicines will be available to help you.
• Your blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood oxygen level will be monitored often until the medicines you were given have worn

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