Finding Voice Again After Cancer Surgery | Dr. Rajshekhar C. Jaka | Manipal Hospital Whitefield

Duration: 3:05 334 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

The video documents a complex surgical case involving a patient diagnosed with advanced cancer of the voice box, specifically where the tumor had invaded the cartilage and extended beyond the larynx. Due to the severity of the condition, the medical team performed a complete removal of the voice box along with the attached food pipe, necessitating a partial reconstruction of the esophagus to restore its function. This procedure was critical not only for eliminating the cancer but also for addressing the immediate challenge of communication loss that typically follows such extensive surgery. To ensure the patient could communicate effectively after losing their natural vocal cords, the surgeon inserted a Provox prosthesis during the operation, which allows speech to be restored immediately post-procedure. The recovery process was successful, with the food pipe being fully reconstructed and the patient regaining the ability to speak and perform all routine daily activities. Follow-up scans confirmed that there was no recurrence of the cancer, indicating an extremely positive outcome for the patient's long-term health and quality of life. The surgeon highlights that this is a highly complicated procedure that is rarely performed today because early-stage cancers are often treated with non-surgical methods, resulting in fewer opportunities for surgeons to gain experience with such intricate operations. Consequently, these surgeries are typically reserved for experienced specialists who can manage the technical challenges involved. Despite the complexity and the late stage of the disease at presentation, the patient's excellent recovery demonstrates that with skilled intervention, individuals can regain their voice and live full lives without worrying about their lifespan if they remain disease-free.

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[music] >> Now, this patient had come with a tumor, what do you say, cancer of the voice box. So, this patient, because he came in a late stage where [music] cartilage invasion was there and it has come out of the voice box, we we had to do this complete removal of the voice box. Now, when we remove this, then they'll not be able to speak. For that, we have to take care because >> [music] >> without voice, it is very, very difficult to communicate. So, during the procedure, what we do, we insert a voice box inside. That is known as Provox prosthesis, through which they'll be able to speak. So, what I did for this patient is [music] I removed the complete voice box along with all the tumor, and even the food pipe was attached to it. So, I had to remove part of the food pipe and then reconstruct the food pipe. And this patient post-surgery recovered very well. Food pipe was reconstructed, and he is able to speak now. He will close his permanent recastomy, and he is able to speak. So, he is able to carry out all his routine activities, [music] and recently we did a scan, and there is no recurrence of the cancer. So, he's doing extremely [music] well. >> Mhm. He just put it on probably >> [music] [music] >> What has happened is this is a very complicated surgery and because most often the early cancers are now not treated by surgery. That is why exposure for surgeons also to do this surgery is less nowadays. So, this kind of complicated surgeries are usually done by an experienced [music] surgeon and luckily patient had a very good outcome and everything went on well. So, they'll be able to speak throughout their life now. They'll be able [music] to communicate it and if they are disease free, definitely no need to worry [music] about their lifespan. Thank you. >> [music] [music]