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80th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

20.05. - 24.05.2009, Rostock

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Endoscopic arytenoid lateropexy for bilateral ankylotic vocal fold fixation

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  • corresponding author László Rovó - Univ.-HNO Klinik Szeged, Ungarn
  • György Smehák - Univ.-HNO Klinik Szeged, Ungarn
  • Kincső Venczel - Univ.-HNO Klinik Szeged, Ungarn
  • Valéria Majoros - Univ.-Klinik für Anaesthesiologie, Szeged, Ungarn
  • József Jóri - Univ. HNO Klinik Szeged, Ungarn

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie. 80. Jahresversammlung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Heilkunde, Kopf- und Hals-Chirurgie. Rostock, 20.-24.05.2009. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2009. Doc09hnod228

doi: 10.3205/09hnod228, urn:nbn:de:0183-09hnod2289

Published: April 17, 2009

© 2009 Rovó et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.

Outline

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Objectives: Mechanical fixation of the vocal folds, most frequently develops after long-term intubation, but other pathological degenerative processess may also limit the abduction of the arytenoid cartilages. Endoscopic arytenoid lateropexy combined with other mobilization techniques may be a minimally invasive solution.

Study design: 38 consecutive patients with this ankylotic problem underwent surgery. Endoscopically, the immobile arytenoids were released by a combination of CO2 laser and a right-angled endolaryngeal scythe designed for this purpose. For the lateropexy of the arytenoids a new endolaryngeal thread guide instrument was introduced.

Results: 32 patients achieved an excellent breathing ability, only effort dyspnea remained in 5 cases. One patient could not be decannulated due to aspiration. In 29 cases, phonation significiantly improved after the removal of the fixing sutures.

Conclusion: After proper mobilization, endoscopic arytenoid lateropexy can be considered as a minimally invasive function-preserving procedure even for severe ankylotic stenoses. This treatment option provides stable improvements in breathing ability and good voice quality without the need for tracheostomy.