Thyroplasty for unilateral vocal fold paralysis using an adjustable implant in porous titanium

Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe a new porous titanium thyroplasty implant that can be adjusted with a screw. Material and methods: Retrospective study of 15 patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis undergoing type I thyroplasty under local anaesthesia. Each patient's dysphonia and swallowing disorders were evaluated both objectively and subjectively before and 3 months after thyroplasty. Results: Speech and swallowing disorders were improved in all the cases, except when the patients were suffering from severe associated neurological disorders (n = 3). The postoperative complications were minor including a laryngeal edema treated by corticotherapy per os (n = 1) and a superficial cervical haematoma (n = 1). Conclusions: This implant is easy to insert and the results show high tolerance of the biomaterial and above all the improvement of functions comparable to other laryngeal implants. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.