There are several surgical techniques for removing tumors. The most basic approach is primary tumor resection, which removes the tumor and its surrounding tissue. With lip cancers, a surgical technique known as “Mohs microscopic surgery” may be employed. It removes the tumor in razor-thin slices, thereby minimizing the unnecessary removal of surrounding normal tissue.
Depending on the tumor, its location, and other factors, more aggressive surgeries may be advised. For instance, a maxillectomy removes the tumor and part of the hard palate. A laryngectomy removes a large tumor of the tongue or oropharynx, which may include the voice box. Composite resections include the removal of soft tissue and adjacent jawbone. Neck dissection allows for access to the lymph nodes, if they have been affected, and for treatment of occult (microscopic) disease.
Decisions regarding surgery are made with the patient’s full participation and with the counsel of leading specialists in radiation and chemotherapy alternatives. The New York Otolaryngology Group is committed to providing its patients with expert post-surgical care to restore all healthful functions and address pressing, post-surgical quality of life issues that support recovery.
