Outcomes in two patients with vocal fold palsy who underwent revision arytenoid adduction surgery.

Abstract

This study investigated the position of adduction thread attachment, pulling direction and fixation position in revision arytenoid adduction surgery performed in two patients with left vocal fold palsy in whom satisfactory speech improvement had not been obtained by arytenoid adduction and type 1 thyroplasty. Revision arytenoid adduction surgery was performed with the vocal fold in the midline position in both cases. A type 1 thyroplasty procedure was subsequently added in one case because of worsened quality of speech following arytenoid adduction. Although the arytenoid adduction procedure is conceptually well established, there is still room for debate concerning the actual surgical procedures used. The technique described in this report is effective, suggesting that it is worthy of recognition as an index procedure.