Surgical management of bilateral immobile vocal folds and long-term follow-up

Sixty-one cases of bilateral immobile vocal folds were classified as traumatic (52.46 per cent), idiopathic (39.34 per cent) or iatrogenic (8.20 per cent). During follow-up the idiopathic group of patients had a better prognosis (p < 0.05) compared to the traumatic or iatrogenic group. A spontaneous recovery was seen in 58.33 percent of cases in the idiopathic group, 56.25 per cent in the traumatic group and 40.0 per cent in the iatrogenic group within a period of one year. Patients who failed to show spontaneous recovery were either subjected to arytenoidectomy with fold lateralization, endoscopic fold lateralization or laser cordectomy, showing 70.0 per cent, 66.67 per cent and 80.0 per cent recovery respectively. These cases have been discussed.