Glossectomy

Excerpt

Glossectomy is a term used to describe a family of surgical procedures resulting in resection of the tongue. While there are many classifications, glossectomy is commonly classified by the laterality (left, right, or midline) and the proportion of tongue removed. These include partial glossectomy (less than one-half), hemiglossectomy (half of the tongue), subtotal glossectomy (more than half but less than a total glossectomy), and total glossectomy (whole tongue excision). Glossectomy is most commonly performed for the treatment of malignant and pre-malignant tongue lesions. It can also be performed for macroglossia and obstructive sleep apnea. While the focus of this article is on surgical approaches for the treatment of oral tongue malignancy, the principles discussed can be applied to all glossectomy indications.