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Article
April 1974

Functional Restitution of the Denervated Gullet

Author Affiliations

Hamburg, West Germany
From the ENT Department, Heidberg Hospital, Hamburg, West Germany.

Arch Otolaryngol. 1974;99(4):279-280. doi:10.1001/archotol.1974.00780030289011
Abstract

Dysphagia resulting from radical tumor surgery may require some sort of pharyngeal rehabilitation. Pharyngeal dysfunction results from loss of function of the vagus nerve, as exemplified by removal of a neuroma from the nerve. Surgical rehabilitation of the pharynx may be accomplished by excision of denervated muscularis. This allows the remainder of the newly formed gullet to be innervated, with 80% to 90% from the contralateral vagus nerve. However, the procedure is also performed with extramucosal myotomy in order to insure that no food can be trapped behind the cricoid. Temporary tracheostomy as well as a bypass nasogastric feeding tube are required. Results of surgery in three patients described have been excellent.

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