Cahit Ermiş, who has been smoking for 60 years, consulted to the physician for hoarseness and swallowing difficulty. After the examinations, he was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer. At Yeditepe University Koşuyolu Hospital, he recovered from the tumour that covers half of his larynx thanks to the intraoral laser operation. Moreover, he regained his voice.

Cahit Ermiş was having hard days when he was diagnosed with second stage laryngeal cancer with the effect of the cigarette, from which he said “I cannot leave” for years. Ermiş, 70-year-old, had difficulty in making his voice heard from one room to another. Ermiş, stating that he had been using the cigarette known as the main cause of the laryngeal tumour for 60 years, said, "I was thinking that I could not quit smoking, I also thought that even if I could quit, I could not live, but I have quitted it immediately with the diagnosis.”

After the examinations carried out at Yeditepe University Koşuyolu Hospital, the tumour covering half of his throat was removed from the mouth with intraoral laser operation without puncturing the throat. Cahit Ermiş, who stated that he had difficulty even communicating with his wife due to hoarseness, said “I had aphonia constantly. When I did not make myself understood, I got so angry. The disease was beginning to affect our social lives as well. Now I even started singing. Right now, I'm very pleased with my life, and I'm not having any difficulties.”

“After Closed Surgery, the Patient Heals Quickly”

Yeditepe University Koşuyolu Hospital Ear, Nose, Throat, and Head and Neck Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Zeynep Alkan explained that laryngeal tumor operations can be performed with a closed technique. “Laryngeal tumors are diseases that can be treated by removing either all or part of the larynx. These surgeries were no longer performed through the neck but through the mouth. We reach the larynx through the mouth and determine the borders of the tumor with a laser under a microscope and perform it in early-stage tumors and appropriate ones of some advanced-stage tumors. ”

Applicable in Selected Advanced Stage Tumors

Stating that laser surgery may not be suitable for every advanced-stage tumor, Prof. Dr. Zeynep Alkan gave the following information: “It is also important whether the tumor spreads to the neck outside the larynx. If already spreads on the neck, it may be necessary to remove a part of the larynx together with neck dissection surgery. In the closed technique, since the patient's tissues are protected, it is easier for them to swallow and make sounds. However, in advanced-stage tumors, since the entire larynx is removed, the prosthesis is applied to create the voice again or the patient is trained to create sound by pushing the stomach air with belching. Most importantly, the patient must live with a permanent hole in his throat. In the closed operation, besides the fast recovery time, there is no hole in the throat of the patient."

“The Only Enemy for Laryngeal Tumor is Cigarette”

Yeditepe University Koşuyolu Hospital Otorhinolaryngology Specialist Prof. Dr. Zeynep Alkan pointed out the importance of smoking in the formation of laryngeal tumors, as in this case. Prof. Dr. Zeynep Alkan: “Smoking is our main enemy in the laryngeal tumor. If alcohol is taken with cigarettes, it increases the carcinogenic effect of cigarettes, and we see that the tumor shifts towards the tongue root. Because alcohol increases the permeability of soft tissues. This allows the cigarette to make more contact with the mucosa. When the two come together, they become carcinogenic. Laryngeal cancers started to appear in passive smoking. In order to get rid of cigarettes, the family must support the patient. At this point, the main task falls on the relatives of the family. If a non-smoking environment is provided at home, the person quits smoking more easily.”

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