A retrospective analysis was carried out on 51 patients who underwent total laryngectomy for the carcinoma of the larynx and the hypopharynx from 1984 to 1985 at the Korea Cancer Hospital. Twenty-one patients of 51 received only total laryngectomy, whereas various types of neck dissection were combined in remaining 30 cases. Out of these 51 cases, there were 2 patients who underwent total pharyngocervical esophageal reconstruction using the pectoralis major myocutaneous or deltopectoral flap. Of the 7 hypopharyngeal cancers, 5 were originated in the pyriform sinus, 2 in the postcricoid region, and none in the posterior pharyngeal wall. Of the 44 laryngeal cancer, 32 were glottic and the rest were supraglottic cancer. There was no subglottic cancer. Differences between preoperative and postoperative staging were noted in 12 cases, of which 4 cases were overstaged and 8 were understaged preoperatively. Esophagocutaneous fistula occurred postoperatively in 13 cases, wound infection in 9 cases, hematoma and stomal stenosis in 5 cases, respectively. Finally, there were 11 recurred cases including 8 cervical lymph node, 2 stomal recurrences, 2 local recurrences and 2 distant metastasis.