Introduction
Hypopharyngeal cancer is a highly malignant tumour of the head and neck that accounts for approximately 3%–5% of all head and neck malignancies [1]. The pyriform sinus is the most frequently affected site and represents 70% of hypopharyngeal carcinoma [2]. Given the close location of the pyriform sinus to the larynx, piriform sinus cancer easily invades the larynx, resulting in the destruction of laryngeal structure and function. Considering that accurate tumour resection is needed to achieve local control and improve survival rate, how to preserve laryngeal function as much as possible to improve the quality of life of patients after surgery is a difficult problem. Previously, we explored and summarised a new surgical approach, namely, the paraglottic space approach, through clinical practice to remove pyriform sinus carcinoma. This approach achieved good results in clinical practice. In this paper, we retrospectively analysed the clinical data of patients admitted to our department from 2014 to 2017 who underwent pyriform sinus carcinoma resection via the paraglottic space approach. The purpose of this study was to summarise and explore the surgical indications, therapeutic effects, surgical advantages and influencing factors of this approach for pyriform sinus carcinoma resection.