Frontal Anterior Laryngectomy with Epiglottic Reconstruction (Tucker’s Operation): Oncologic and Functional Results

Objective: To evaluate functional and oncological results of patients who were treated with frontal anterior laryngectomy with epiglottic reconstruction (Tucker’s operation). Material and Methods: From September 1985 to November 2009, 58 patients whose early glottic carcinomas were operated on with Tucker’s opera- tion. The time of decannulation, nasogastric tube removal, hospitalization and oncological results were analyzed. Acoustic analysis and Voice Handicap Index (VHI) were used to evaluate vocal function. Results: The mean time for decannulation and nasogastric tube removal were 11.8±7.6 and 15.4±4.4 days, respectively. The mean duration of hospital stay was 19.3±6.1 days. It was found that early decannulation significantly reduced patient decannulation and hospitalization time. The 5-year overall and cause-specific actuarial survival rates were 81.5% and 96.9%, respectively. The 10-year overall and cause-specific survival rates were 67% and 92.3%, respectively. The 5-year local and nodal control rates were 95.4% and 95.2%, respectively. The mean values for jitter, shimmer and noise-to-harmonic ratio were 8.10±5.59%, 16.60±5.81% and 0.51±0.23, respectively, and these scores showed a significant increase. Total VHI score and subscale scores except VHI-emotional noted that patients had a mild level of vocal disability. Conclusion: Tucker’s operation is one of the preferred techniques in the treatment of early glottic carcinoma with its high oncologic success rate and satisfactory functional results.