Razi Journal of Medical Sciences

    Background & Aim: Laryngeal obstruction due to vocal cord paralysis has been treated in many ways. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the outcomes of posterior cordectomy by co2 laser and its effects on respiratory complications due to vocal cord paralysis. Patients & Method: In this pre and post-operative clinical trial, we made use of a 2-4 watt co2 laser which was connected to a laryngeal microscope with an x400 lens. The applied method was slightly different from Dennis and Kashima’s usual technique in terms of the application of mithomycin C on the surgical site. Ten cases including 3 females and 7 males underwent posterior cordectomy by co2 laser. The mean age of the subjects was 34.1 years, ranging from 11 to 60. The duration of follow-up ranged from 5 to 24 months with a mean of 17 months. All the patients were suffering from severe dyspnea before the surgery and 8 of them had tracheotomy for their dyspnea before the surgery. The day after the surgery all the patients got decanulated. The changes of breathing, voice and swallowing conditions were analyzed pre and post-operatively using paired t-test. Results: The mean FEV1/FVC ratio that was 67% preoperatively increased to 80% postoperatively(P<0.8). None of the cases encountered aspiration after the surgery. Four of the cases needed a second surgery due to granulation or fibrosis on the site of the previous operation. Ultimately, the surgery resulted in regular breathing in all the patients. Conclusion: This surgery can decrease respiratory complications caused by vocal cord paralysis.