[Reconstruction of the pharynx after pharyngectomy].

Forty-five patients in whom a pharyngo-laryngectomy was carried out are described; in 21, the pharynx was reconstructed by gastric transposition and in 24 by primary reconstruction with a medially based cased flap. Minor complications, such as stenosis and fistulae occurred more often after the skin flap operation and the stay of the patient in hospital in this group was considerably longer compared to those patients having the pharyngeal replacement with the transposed stomach. However, the two year survival after skin flap reconstruction was 50% as against only 10% after reconstruction with the stomach.