Thyroplasty type I: short- versus long-term results

Abstract

Objective: After thyroplasty type I, significant improvement has been reported in objective measures of vocal function. The purpose of this investigation was to compare the short- and long-term results in patients undergoing thyroplasty type I.

Methods: Data on 26 patients who had undergone thyroplasty type I for management of unilateral vocal fold paralysis were compared from before surgery to the short-term (1-month) and long-term (>1-year) postoperative assessment points. Statistical analysis included paired tests to assess the significance of between-group differences.

Results: Significant differences were found between the preoperative and both postoperative evaluations for the measures of mean glottal flow rate, maximum phonation time, jitter, shimmer, and harmonic-to-noise ratio. However, no significant differences were found between the 1-month and >1-year assessment points.

Conclusions: The results for the parameters studied appeared to reach maximum improvement within 1 month after surgery. It is possible that the effects of time, including the normal aging process, hormonal changes, or other alterations in general health, may require longer follow-up to better address these issues.