Posterior Cordectomy. Our Experience

Abstract

ObjectiveSeveral surgical procedures have been proposed for the treatment of respiratory distress secondary to bilateral cord palsy. We performed a retrospective study of our experience in posterior cordectomy with a laser CO2, analysing the improvement of dyspnoea and voice quality after surgery. MethodsThis was a retrospective study of 13 cases (9 female, 4 male). The age range was 25–79 years. Iatrogenic post-thyroidectomy (4 cases) was the most common aetiology of bilateral laryngeal palsy in our study.We assessed the subjective improvement of respiratory function and voice quality after laser surgery using the Spanish adaptation of the Voice Handicap Index (VHI). ResultsDyspnoea improved in all patients. Two cases had a worsening of dyspnoea in the immediate postoperative period and one case was successfully solved with a new surgical intervention.After surgery, most of patients suffered from mild or middle dysphonia. ConclusionsThe posterior cordectomy is an easy, safe, and effective treatment for dyspnoea secondary to bilateral laryngeal palsy, maintaining acceptable voice quality.