Nanofat for Injection Laryngoplasty: A Preliminary Study of a New Substrate

Area of Science:

• Regenerative Medicine
• Otolaryngology
• Plastic Surgery

Background:

• Nanofat, emulsified fat particles of approximately 1 µm, is utilized in plastic surgery.
• Nanofat enhances the release of adipose-derived stem cells, potentially promoting tissue regeneration.
• Vocal fold atrophy can lead to voice impairment, necessitating effective treatment options.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of nanofat versus microfat injection laryngoplasty for treating vocal fold atrophy.
• To evaluate bulking and vibratory effects of nanofat compared to microfat in voice restoration.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, controlled, single-blind, prospective study involving 18 patients with vocal atrophy.
• Patients underwent transoral lipoinjection using microlaryngoscopy, receiving either bilateral microfat or a comparison of microfat and nanofat.
• Post-surgery evaluations at 3 months included stroboscopy, acoustic analysis, Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10), and Cepstral/Spectral Index of Dysphonia (CSID).

Main Results:

• All patients showed significant improvement in VHI-10 scores at 3 months.
• The nanofat group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in VHI-10 scores.
• Expert raters noted improved voice quality in the nanofat group, with comparable glottic closure between techniques.

Conclusions:

• Nanofat injection laryngoplasty presents a viable alternative to microfat for treating vocal fold atrophy.
• Nanofat may offer superior voice quality improvements compared to microfat in specific patient subgroups.