Glossectomy

Glossectomy
ICD-9-CM	25.2-25.4
MeSH	D005927
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Patient’s tongue with glossectomy

A glossectomy is the surgical removal of all or part of the tongue. It is performed in order to curtail malignant growth such as oral cancer. When only a portion of the tongue needs to be removed, the procedure is called a partial removal, or hemiglossectomy. When the entire tongue needs to be removed, the procedure is called a total glossectomy. A midline glossectomy is a surgical reduction of the size of the base of the tongue (posterior two-thirds of the tongue), sometimes used to treat sleep apnea.^{[ citation needed ]}

If the size of the resulting defect is too large, patients may have difficulty with speaking or swallowing. In this case, the patient may benefit from a free flap to restore volume in the missing portion of the tongue.

See also

• List of surgeries by type

References

• Monique Laberge. "Glossectomy". Encyclopedia of Surgery. Advameg, Inc. Retrieved 2010-05-28.
• Jordan Rihani, MD; Larry Myers, MD (15 July 2021). "Glossectomy". EMedicine.