Partial laryngectomy is a surgical procedure that aims to widen the entrance to the larynx in order to help the dog breathe more easily. Another procedure, the laryngeal tie-back, is more commonly performed, as it is linked with fewer complications postoperatively.
The larynx is a complex structure which polices the entrance to the trachea or windpipe. Its job is to open wide when the dog breathes in, and narrow down when the dog breathes out. This is part of a mechanism that prevents food or liquid being inadvertently inhaled down into the lungs and causing inhalation pneumonia.
Partial laryngectomy may be undertaken in first opinion practice by a skilled surgeon, but intensive care nursing facilities should be available postoperatively. Alternatively, a skilled surgeon may preferentially perform a laryngeal tie-back procedure or refer the dog for this procedure.