In my previous post, I only addressed the eating and swallowing issues of being a laryngectome. Here are some other things to think about. Besides losing most of your sense of smell which can effect taste, you will never be able to swim or participate in water sports again. If you fall off the boat, you will drown. You will never sing again. There must be others but I can't think of them now.

Have they discussed whether you would have a TEP. If this is what they plan, you need to discuss the failure rate and what the backup plan is. 5 years after I had my surgery, my surgeon told me the failure rate is 45% on people who have had radiation. The TEP can leak around the prosthessis and then you wind up on a PEG tube maybe forever or until they can close or repair the TEP. The prosthesis needs to be changed when it starts leaking through the center. This means you start leaking liquids into your lungs usually causing an infection. My prosthesis only last 3 months but most peoples last 6 mo to a year.

They also usually have to take an artery from your arm to form a flap and then a piece of skin from the leg, to cover the arm or they can use cadaver skin for the arm. I did not need this, but am told it is the worse part of the operation.

I've been on this board since May of 2002 and do not remember anyone who had a total glossectomy also having a larygetcomy at the same time to avoid asperation. I'd discuss the pros and cons of this very thoroughly with the doctors before agreeing to this surgery.

Let me know if you have any other questions. Have you emailed Miskate? She is not on the baord on a regular basis.

Take care,
Eileen