UPDATE - LARYNGEAL REINNERVATION FOR UNILATERAL VOCAL CORD PARALYSIS WITH THE ANSA CERVICALIS

Eight patients underwent ansa cervicalis anastomosis to the adductor b ranch of the recurrent laryngeal nerve for unilateral vocal cord paral ysis. They were followed long enough (at least 1 year) to determine if the procedure was successful. All cases have been subjected to preope rative and postoperative voice recording, acoustic analysis, and video laryngoscopy. Some of them have been subjected to stroboscopy and elec tromyography (EMG). Data from these cases indicate that satisfactory p honatory quality may be achieved after the procedure. The reinnervated vocal cord neither abducted nor adducted, but it presented itself in midline for precise apposition with the normal cord. Synchronous mucos al waves in both vocal cords could be observed. EMG showed that the pr ocedure produced satisfactory reinnervation of the adductory muscles. Therefore, the authors believe that the procedure could be proposed as an alternative to Tenon injection or thyroplasty in selected cases.