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All About
Arytenoidectomy
Symptoms
- A breathy quality to the voice.
- Hoarseness.
- Noisy breathing.
- Loss of vocal pitch.
- Choking or coughing while swallowing food, drink or saliva.
- The need to take frequent breaths while speaking.
- Inability to speak loudly.
- Loss of your gag reflex.
Causes
Bilateral vocal fold immobility may be caused by bilateral neurogenic palsy, fixation of the cricoarythenoid joint, laryngeal synechiae, or posterior glottic stenosis2. The differential diagnosis is based on the medical history, fibronasopharyngolaryngoscope findings, and laryngeal electromyography
More about Treatment
Arytenoidectomy is a permanent and irreversible surgical procedure whereby the laryngeal inlet is widened in its transverse axis, providing a larger airway for respiration. Arytenoidectomy is performed in cases of bilateral vocal fold immobility caused by either paralysis of the vocal cords or their fixation.
Static enlargement of the glottis is the final and permanent surgical solution for bilateral vocal fold immobility for any cause. It may be broadly divided into a conservative procedure (transverse cordotomy and medial arytenoidectomy) and a radical procedure (total arytenoidectomy).
FAQ on this Treatment
What are the limitations of arytenoidectomy?
Though successful in restoring normal breathing in BVFI, this surgery completely eliminates the possibility recovery of voice or may even worsen the voice quality. Another limitation is that arytenoidectomy cannot be performed in patients with progressive neurological diseases or if there is tendency to swallow fluids in wind pipe rather than the food pipe (aspiration).
What are the risks of arytenoidectomy?
The only notable risk in arytenoidectomy is the development of swelling and scar tissue at the site of operation. This risk can be minimised by skilled operation performed in stages and post-operative medicines and monitoring also reduces it. Another complication can be aspiration.
Can voice and swallowing be resumed normally after the surgery?
After arytenoidectomy, breathing is normalised at the cost of voice quality. Activities like swallowing and acceptably normal speech are resumed after a few weeks of the surgery. The doctor may recommend speech therapy in some cases.