Key points
• Total laryngectomy is a life-saving procedure for individuals with
advanced laryngeal cancer or those suffering from recurrence after
initial treatment.
• Manual suturing of the pharyngeal mucosa after the removal of the
entire larynx, though time-consuming, is the technique traditionally
used for pharyngeal closure after total laryngectomy.
• The stapler closure technique significantly reduced the operative time
needed for total laryngectomy. In addition, we observed a lower
incidence of pharyngocutaneous fistula and hospital stay after stapler
closure in all patients. The rate of surgical site infection was
comparable between the stapler closure and manual closure groups.
• The presented meta-analysis provides current evidence for the use of
stapler closure in laryngeal cancer patients undergoing total
laryngectomy. The surgical stapler has the potential to be a useful tool
in the pharyngeal closure step during total laryngectomy.