How to care for laryngeal cancer patients after surgery

Laryngeal cancer patients will experience a series of symptoms after surgery and require joint care from family members and nurses to improve patient survival and treatment.

Because it is a laryngectomy, the patient's appetite will be seriously affected after the operation, especially in the first few days after the operation. Water and food should be strictly prohibited. At this time, nutrient solution can be supplemented through intravenous drip. Although the digestive tract returns to normal after a few days, the patient's throat has not healed yet and cannot swallow. At this time, liquid food can be injected into the stomach through the nasogastric tube reserved during the operation. When the swelling in the throat subsides and the wound gradually heals, the nasogastric tube can be removed and a normal diet can be resumed.

When patients first start to eat normally, they will have difficulty swallowing and need to gradually resume eating under the guidance of a nursing staff. At this time, liquid food should be the main food, and gradually switched to semi-liquid food and normal food.

In addition, the patient's lungs and trachea will produce a large amount of sputum after the operation. At this time, it is generally necessary to use an aspirator to suck out the sputum in the cannula through a plastic tube. Generally, after a period of time, the patient will recover the coughing and sputum suction function on his own; and during the period of throat swelling, attention should be paid to helping the patient suck out the saliva in the mouth.

It is also important to note that because the air after surgery enters the human body directly through the tracheostomy without being humidified through the nasal and laryngeal cavities, the air should be humidified using an air humidifier or the hospital's humidification device.