Tracheotomy Before Total Laryngectomy as a Risk Factor for Stoma Recurrence

Background/Objectives: Laryngeal cancer has a high incidence and mortality rate, especially in advanced stages. Stoma recurrence after total laryngectomy is rare but lethal, and its risk factors remain controversial. We aimed to assess whether the presence of a tracheotomy performed prior to surgical treatment for advanced laryngeal cancer represents a risk factor for recurrence of the disease in the stoma and interferes with patient survival. Methods: A retrospective study was carried out in 138 patients who underwent total laryngectomy. Clinical-pathological variables were related to the presence of a preoperative tracheotomy. Results: Fifty-two patients without and 86 patients with preoperative tracheotomy were studied. There was a significant predominance of transglottic tumors (p = 0.02) and no patients with early-stage disease (T1 and T2, p = 0.002) in the tracheotomy group. There was no statistically significant difference in stoma recurrence (p = 0.53). On multivariate analysis, the risk of stoma recurrence was not significantly associated with the presence of a preoperative tracheotomy. Conclusions: The presence of a tracheotomy prior to total laryngectomy was not a risk factor for disease recurrence in the stoma or for reduced survival in the group.