[Therapeutic effects of endoscopic posterior cordotomy for bilateral vocal cord paralysis]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of the endoscopic bilateral posterior transverse partial cordotomy in patients with upper airway obstruction due to bilateral vocal fold paralysis. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 48 cases of upper airway obstruction due to bilateral vocal fold paralysis, who were admitted to Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, the Sixth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from July 2009 to July 2019, was performed, including 13 males and 35 females. Patients' ages ranged from 27 to 83 years old. All patients underwent bilateral vocal fold posterior resection. Results: Among the 48 patients, 1 patient was lost to follow-up, and the remaining 47 patients were followed up for 5 months to 10 years . None of the 47 patients had a recurrence or severe complications. 89.58% (43/48) patients reconstructed a reliable and effective airway and 88.89% (40/45) patients were decannulated in 1-3 months postoperatively, with the median decannulation time of 1 month. Recovery rate of swallowing function and satisfactory pronunciation were 97.92% (47/48) and 95.35% (41/43) respectively. Conclusions: Endoscopic bilateral posterior transverse partial cordotomy can establish a reliable and effective airway and maximize the protection of swallowing and voice functions. At the same time, it is a safe, reliable, simple and minimally invasive treatment option.