Lesson plan
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. 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.
Article summary
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. 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.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.