ACUTE TEMPORARY LATEROFIXATION FOR TREATMENT OF BILATERAL VOCAL CORD PARALYZES AFTER SURGERY FOR ADVANCED THYROID-CARCINOMA

Four patients with breathing obstruction after surgery for advanced th yroid carcinoma were found to have bilateral vocal cord paralysis. The y were treated with acute temporary laterofixation of one of the vocal cords. This measure established a stable airway in all the patients a nd maintained acceptable voices. None of the patients had aspiration p roblems. After 4 to 7 weeks the nonlaterofixated vocal cord had regain ed normal function in each patient, and the thread used for the latero fixation could be removed. In the two patients who had anatomically in tact recurrent laryngeal nerves bilaterally, the previously laterofixa ted vocal cords displayed normal movements within another 8 weeks in o ne patient and 7 weeks in the other patient. This observation demonstr ates that a temporary laterofixation can be done without lasting damag e to the vocal cord. Acute temporary vocal cord laterofixation is a pr ocedure that has the potential to minimize the morbidity and complicat ions of bilateral vocal cord paralysis, and in most patients it can be done instead of tracheostomy.