Dilation, Steroid Injection, and Cough Exercise for Correction of Posterior Glottic Stenosis

To describe the DISCO protocol (Dilation, Steroid injection, and post-operative Cough Exercise); a novel treatment for posterior glottic stenosis (PGS). Restoring glottic mobility in PGS is a major challenge. In orthopedic and plastic surgery, post-operative physical therapy is associated with improved motion range and flexibility; yet, this principle was never applied to laryngeal surgery.

A retrospective cohort of PGS adult patients, treated by the DISCO protocol during 2018-2020. DISCO involves the following: scar release, glottic dilation, and steroid injection, followed by post-operative cough as glottic physical therapy. Maximal glottic opening angle (MGOA), relative glottic opening area (RGOA), and relative glottic insufficiency area (RGIA) were calculated before and post-operatively.

Seventeen patients were included; PGS etiology was post-intubation (n = 10), post-irradiation (n = 3), both (n = 1) and joint sclerosis (n = 3). Six patients also had additional airway disorders. Sixteen patients were tracheostomy-dependent. 2 (12%), 8 (47%) and 7 (41%) patients had type II, III and IV stenosis, respectively. Surgery included scar release, dilation and steroid injection alone in 7 patients; and additional unilateral sub-mucosal arytenoidectomy in 10. The mean follow-up was 17.5 months. There were no major complications. Successful outcomes (e.g., decannulation or permanent capping) were achieved in 14 (82%) patients with some restoration of joint movement. None had a persistent voice or swallowing complaints. Both MGOA and RGOA increased in all patients (p < 0.001). RGIA remained unchanged (p = 0.878).

The DISCO protocol is a novel, effective and safe approach for PGS correction that can be easily applied. It can restore vocal fold mobility and may expand the glottic airway without causing glottic insufficiency.

4 Laryngoscope, 133:883-889, 2023.