Combined Arytenoid Adduction and Laryngeal Reinnervation in the Treatment of Vocal Fold Paralysis
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Latyngoscope Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc., Philadelphia Q 1999 The American Laryngolog.lca1, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc. Combined Arytenoid Adduction and Laryngeal Reinnervation in the Treatment of Vocal Fold Paralysis - Dinesh K. Chhetri, MD; Bruce R. Gerratt, PhD; Jody Kreiman, PhD; Gerald S. Berke, MD ObjectivelHypothesis: Glottal closure and sym- Words: Vocal cord paralysis, arytenoid adduction, la- metrical thyroarytenoid stiffness are two important ryngeal reinnervation, ansa cervicalis nerve, percep- functional characteristics of normal phonatory pos- tual analysis. ture. In the treatment of unilateral vocal cord paral- Laryngoscope, 1091928-1936,1999 ysis, vocal fold medialization improves closure, facil- itating entrainment of both vocal folds for improved INTRODUCTION phonation, and reinnervation is purported to main- tain vocal fold bulk and stiffness. A combination of Medialization procedures such as Teflon injection, medialization and reinnervation would be expected thyroplasty, and arytenoid adduction are currently popu- to further improve vocal quality over medialization lar in the treatment of unilateral vocal cord paralysis.'-" alone. Study Design: A retrospective review of preop- The optimal medialization procedure continues to be de- erative and postoperative voice analysis on all pa- bated. Injection techniques and thyroplasty are suitable tients who underwent arytenoid adduction alone (ad- for relieving anterior vocal fold insufficiency, whereas ar- duction group) or combined arytenoid adduction and ytenoid adduction corrects posterior glottic chink^.^,^ Re- ansa cervicalis to recurrent laryngeal nerve anasto- cent reports have proposed laryngeal reinnervation using mosis (combined group) between 1989 and 1995 for the ansa cervicalis nerve anastomosis to recurrent laryn- the treatment of unilateral vocal cord paralysis. Pa- geal nerve in the treatment of unilateral vocal cord paral- tients without postoperative voice analysis were in- vited back for its completion. A perceptual analysis ysis.6 The ansa cervicalis nerve is an ideal candidate €or was designed and completed. Methods: Videostrobo- laryngeal reinnervation because it is located in close prox- scopic measures of glottal closure, mucosal wave, and imity to the larynx, and sacrificing this nerve results in no symmetry were rated. Aerodynamic parameters of la- serious functional or cosmetic sequelae.7 However, satis- ryngeal airflow and subglottic pressure were mea- factory physiological motion of paralyzed vocal folds dur- sured. A 2-second segment of sustained vowel was ing phonation and respiration has not been achieved with used for perceptual analysis by means of a panel of this technique. With this nonspecific method of reinner- voice professionals and a rating system. Statistical vation the vocal process remains immobile, glottic closure calculations were performed at a significance level of may remain incomplete,6 and functional return of laryn- P = .06. Results: There were 9 patients in the adduc- tion group and 10 patients in the combined group. geal movement is hampered by synkinesis, which is the Closure and mucosal wave improved significantly in result of random regrowth of axons into the abductor and both groups. Airflow decreased in both groups, but adductor branches.8 the decrease reached statistical significance only in In laryngeal paralysis the stiffness of the denervated the adduction group. Subglottic pressure remained vocal fold is decreased.9 This leads to a deviant vibratory unchanged in both groups. Both groups had signifi- pattern of an inferior quality involving two unequal vocal cant perceptual improvement of voice quality. In all fold masses. During follow-up studies of thyroplasty type tested parameters the extent of improvement was I patients, it was noted that sometimes there was slight similar in both groups. Conclusion: The role of laryn- decrement of voice over a period of 2 to 3 months after the geal reinnervation in the treatment of unilateral vo- operation. The main factor responsible for increased dys- cal cord paralysis remains to be established. Key phonia was reported to be atrophy of the vocal cord.'"," Vocal cord atrophy from denervation injury can be coun- From the Division of Head and Neck Surgery, University of Califor- tered by reinnervation. Histological evidence of reinner- nia Los Angeles School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California. vation after ansa cervicalis to recurrent laryngeal nerve Editor's Note: This Manuscript was accepted for publication August anastomosis has been demonstrated previously.l"l3 Pos- 4, 1999. terior commissure closure and symmetric thyroarytenoid Send Reprint Requests to Gerald S. Berke, MD, Division of Head and Neck Surgery, 62-132 CHS, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA stiffness are two important functional characteristics of 90095. U.S.A. normal phonatory posture.14 We hypothesized that a Laryngoscope 109: December 1999 Chhetri et al.: Vocal Fold Paralysis 1928 combination of medialization and laryngeal reinnervation adducting the true vocal fold. Proper medialization was verified would lead to better vocal quality over medialization alone by flexible nasolaryngoscopy. in the treatment of unilateral vocal cord paralysis. In a The ansa cervicalis to recurrent laryngeal nerve anastomo- combined procedure, medialization would facilitate clo- sis was as described by Crumley8 and Crumley et al.16 In a sure and reinnervation would preserve vocalis muscle combined operation, localization and preparation of nerves were mass and tension. performed first, followed by arytenoid adduction and, finally, nerve anastomosis. The ansa cervicalis nerve was first exposed We describe our initial experience with arytenoid overlying the great vessels or within the carotid sheath. A branch adduction combined with laryngeal reinnervation using of the ansa cervicalis (to the omohyoid or to the sternothyroid) ansa cervicalis nerve to recurrent laryngeal nerve anasto- was then identified, followed, and divided at its insertion into its mosis in the treatment of unilateral vocal cord paralysis. muscle, then transposed over in the region of the trachcoesoph- With a combined surgical approach, we expect an imme- ageal groove. The recurrent laryngeal nerve was identified by diate postoperative improvement in phonation, which we retracting the superior thyroid neurovascular bundle laterally assume can be attributed to the medialization procedure, and inferiorly and dissecting posteriorly and inferiorly until the followed several months later by further improvement in nerve was identified as it came up to enter the larynx at the voice as the functional effects of laryngeal reinnervation inferior horn of the thyroid cartilage. The nerve was dissected out distally in the tracheoesophageal groove and divided at a suitable are noted. The results of the combination surgery are distance that allowed for an unencumbered anastomosis (usually compared with arytenoid adduction as a single therapeu- 7-10 mm). Nerve anastomosis was accomplished with microsur- tic modality. gical neurorrhaphy (epineurial repair) using 8-0 to 10-0 suture under magnification. MATERIALS AND METHODS To perform videolaryngostroboscopy, a 90” telescopic laryn- During the years 1989 and 1995, 18 patients underwent goscope attached to a miniature endoscopic videocamera (Storz arytenoid adduction (adduction group) and 13 patients under- Tricam, Karl Storz GmbH & Co., Tuttlingen, Germany) and a went combined arytenoid adduction and laryngeal reinnervation stroboscopic unit (Bruel& Kjaer Rhino-Larynx Stroboscope, type (combined group) at the University of California Los Angeles 4914, Bruel & Kjaer, Norcross, GA) was inserted into the oro- (UCLA) Medical Center by the senior author (G.s.B.) Retrospec- pharynx until the vocal folds could be visualized. The patient was tive chart review was performed for all these patients. No set instructed to sustain the vowel lil at a comfortable pitch and protocol was used to randomly assign patients into the treatment loudness. The video images were recorded on a %-inch video tape arms. During the initial years of the study period, patients were recorder (Sony U-matic VO-5800, Sony Electronics, Tokyo, Ja- randomly assigned into the adduction or combined groups. Later pan) for later analysis. Glottal closure, mucosal wave on both in the study period, and as the experience with reinnervation was vocal folds, and symmetry were analyzed. Glottal closure was garnered, patients tended to undergo the combined procedure rated on a five-point scale ranging from complete to absent (Fig. more frequently. All patients received an objective preoperative 1).Mucosal wave was rated on a five-point scale ranging from and postoperative voice analysis, which included videolaryn- unrestricted to absent (Fig. 2). Symmetry was rated as symmet- gostroboscopy, aerodynamic analysis, and voice recording. Pa- rical or asymmetrical (Fig. 3). tients without postoperative voice analysis were invited back for Laryngeal airflow and subglottic pressure measurements its completion. Patients were excluded from the study when pre- were performed as described by Smitheran and Hixon.17 Flow operative voice analysis was of inadequate quality (five patients was monitored with a pneumotachographic mask, which was in adduction group and one patient in combined group) or when placed over the patient’s face, connected to a differential pressure the distance of their current residence precluded their return to transducer