Endoscopic laser arytenoidectomy revisited.

Arytenoidectomy is currently the most reliable method of treating patients with bilateral vocal cord paralysis. Although both endoscopic and external approaches have been described, the endoscopic laser technique is more desirable because it requires no incision and allows for the immediate assessment of airway size. Eleven patients with bilateral vocal cord paralysis treated by endoscopic laser arytenoidectomy were presented in 1984. At that time, 10 of the 11 patients had been successfully decannulated. Follow-up on that group of patients revealed that 7 of the 10 successfully treated patients remain decannulated with a good airway, although 2 of these patients required a revision procedure to excise a granuloma. One patient failed at 15 months and has failed two subsequent revision operations, and 2 patients have been lost to follow-up. Since 1984, 17 additional patients with bilateral vocal cord paralysis have been treated by the authors using the same endoscopic laser arytenoidectomy technique; all have been successfully managed, with a minimum follow-up of 3 years. The technique of this operation will be reviewed. This study demonstrates the clinical usefulness of endoscopic laser arytenoidectomy in the treatment of bilateral vocal cord paralysis.