Treatment of adductor-type spasmodic dysphonia by surgical myectomy: a preliminary report

Despite the belief that it represents a central neurologic dysfunctional process, adductor-type spasmodic dysphonia without tremor is usually effectively treated by injection of botulinum toxin A; however, in most cases such injections must be repeated every few months. A promising new surgical procedure is herein reported.

Under local anesthesia with intravenous sedation, a large laryngoplasty window is created, and under direct vision with intraoperative voice monitoring, fibers from the thyroarytenoid and lateral cricoarytenoid muscles are removed until breathiness occurs. The two sides are staged; that is, one side is done at a time, with surgery on the second side being performed 3 to 6 months after that on the first side, if needed.

This was a retrospective, unblinded study of 5 patients who underwent myectomy of the thyroarytenoid and lateral cricoarytenoid muscles. The preliminary results show improved voice fluency in all patients at 5 to 19 months of follow-up. There was no period of prolonged breathiness or dysphagia in any of the patients, and there were no surgical complications.

Myectomy of the thyroarytenoid and lateral cricoarytenoid muscles is a promising new surgical treatment for adductor-type spasmodic dysphonia that may effectively mimic "permanent" botulinum toxin injections.