Background: Closure of the wall of the pharynx is an important step in the total laryngectomy operation. An inadequate closure results in tissue contamination, wound infection, and the development of pharyngo-cutaneous fistula.
Objective: To study the outcomes of neo-pharyngeal closure after total laryngectomy by stapler compared with conventional techniques.
Material and Method: A retrospective descriptive study of patients undergoing total laryngectomy with either pharyngeal stapling or suturing between January 2007 and December 2011.
Results: Twenty-six patients had pharyngeal stapling, while another twenty-six had a conventional pharyngeal closure. The operative time was significantly less in the stapler group (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Pharyngeal stapling might be an alternative technique for total laryngectomy.

Keywords: Stapler, Total laryngectomy, Conventional, Comparison