Analysis of the clinical efficacy and voice outcomes of CO2 laser resection versus laryngeal microsurgery for vocal cord polyps

Abstract

Objective To compare CO2 laser resection and laryngeal microsurgery for vocal cord polyps and provide evidence for the optimal surgical method. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study that included 74 patients with vocal cord polyps who underwent either CO2 laser resection or laryngeal microsurgery in our hospital from August 2018 to December 2021. According to their preference, 77 patients were divided into two groups: a CO2 laser resection group (n = 35) and a laryngeal microsurgery group (n = 39). Patients were evaluated two days before surgery, and follow-ups were conducted one, two and four weeks after surgery. The voice handicap index (VHI-10) score, voice acoustic analysis results and electronic laryngoscopy results were collected for each patient, and the differences between the two groups were evaluated. Results The basic demographic characteristics of the 74 patients were comparable, and all patients completed postoperative follow-up observations. A total of 30 (85.71%) patients in the CO2 laser resection group and 22 (56.41%) patients in the laryngeal microsurgery group were healed. The total effectiveness rate of the CO2 laser resection group (94.29%) was significantly higher than that of the laryngeal microsurgery group (82.05%), and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p = .037). Both surgical methods had a positive effect on reducing VHI-10 scores with the effect of CO2 laser resection being more obvious. The difference between the two groups in this regard was statistically significant (p < .001). The effects of each surgical method on the average fundamental frequency perturbation (jitter), amplitude perturbation (shimmer), maximum phonation time and dysphonia severity index were not statistically significant (p > .05). Conclusion CO2 laser resection and laryngeal microsurgery have similar effects on voice quality, but CO2 laser resection has higher clinical efficacy.