Thoracotracheostomy.

When laryngeal carcinoma extends into the cervical trachea, peritracheal nodes, prelaryngeal tissues and skin, or when it recurs at the tracheal stoma, the prognosis becomes rather dismal. To have a hope of cure, a palliative excision must be radical. Developments in the surgical techniques for exposure, excision, and reconstruction which have evolved during the past quarter century are reviewed, along with a case presentation through which the problems and techniques are illustrated.