Procedure Details

This is an operation to remove part of the tongue and adjacent tissues. At the same time,reconstructive surgery is performed to restore normal appearance and speech. A tracheostomy may be performed to assist breathing postoperatively, and a skin graft may be needed to replace removed tissue. Carried out under general anesthesia, the procedure may take several hours. A lengthy hospital stay is usually necessary.Hemiglossectomy and subsequent reconstructive surgery are major procedures and as such entail risk. At present, this operation is the treatment of choice for some types of tongue cancer.Hemiglossectomy may be performed when a malignant growth is found in the tongue.Diagnosis depends on microscopic examination of cells obtained at biopsy (tissue sampling).Important decision on treatment are based on staging, a process to determine the extent of the primary growth in the tongue and whether it has metastasized (spread) to another part of the body.A graft may be needed to replace tissue removed during surgery. If skin cover only is needed, a thin layer of skin (split-skin graft) may be taken from the thigh and placed over the wound. When tissue loss is greater, a full-thickness graft of skin, underlying muscle, and blood vessels, may be taken from the chest, back or forehead and used to reconstruct the tongue and mouth.

Article by
Dr. Balabhai, Nanavati Hospital
Mumbai