Medialization laryngoplasty with Gore-Tex for voice restoration secondary to glottal incompetence: indications and observations

Abstract

Gore-Tex has been used as an effective implant for medialization laryngoplasty in the management of paralytic dysphonia; however, reporting of large patient cohorts has been limited. Furthermore, the use of Gore-Tex in the treatment of glottal incompetence secondary to soft tissue defects has not yet been described. Finally, a number of the procedural nuances of using Gore-Tex have not been elucidated. A prospective investigation was done on 142 patients who underwent 152 Gore-Tex medialization laryngoplasties in 183 vocal folds from December 1997 to March 2002. The primary diagnoses prompting the 152 procedures were paralysis in 94, paresis in 18, cancer reconstruction in 14, sulcus vocalis in 6, atrophy in 3, trauma defect in 5, arytenoid dislocation in 3, bilateral paralysis in 3, bilateral paresis in 1, parkinsonism in 4, and neurologic aerodynamic dissociation in 1. One patient who underwent reconstruction of a complex cancer defect required endoscopic removal of the Gore-Tex because of persistent granulation. Clinical observations reveal that Gore-Tex is a versatile implant that is ideally suited for phonosurgical reconstruction of aerodynamic glottal incompetence secondary to a variety of causes. Gore-Tex was especially useful for medialization of complex anatomic soft tissue defects such as those resulting from cancer resection, trauma, atrophy, and sulcus vocalis. There was superior ease in handling, placement, and in vivo adjustability.