Comparison of Initial Therapeutic Effects of Voice Therapy and Injection Laryngoplasty for Unilateral Vocal Cord Paralysis Patients

Lee, Chang Yoon; An, Soo Youn; Chang, Hyun; Son, Hee Young

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study was to classify patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis according to their fixed location and to analysis the effects of two treatment methods by early voice therapy and injection laryngoplasty.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Twenty patients who were classified as full abduction and slight abduction according to the position of paralysis were treated injection laryngoplasy, and 23 patients were treated by voice therapy. Twenty patients were treated injection laryngoplasy and 23 patients were treated voice therapy. Results were evaluated by acoustic analysis, electroglottography, cepstrum analysis before and after therapy. The voice therapy was conducted by improving the larynx movement and glottal contact, whilst removing hypertension of the supraglottic and use the breathing.
RESULTS
Significant improvement was found in the acoustic parameter, cepstrum parameter, and EGG before and after treatment in both groups. There was no significant difference between the two groups when compared before and after treatment to compare the effects of injection laryngoplasty and voice therapy.
CONCLUSION
The initial treatments for unilateral vocal cord paralysis are injection laryngoplasty and voice therapy. however, there is no precise standard about which method should be applied first. Therefore, in this study, we tried to classify patients according to their paralysis position and then apply two methods. The results of this study suggest that voice therapy and Injection laryngoplasty at the initial stage is a very useful method to improve voice quality of vocal fold paralysis and improve laryngeal function.