Understanding Voice and Swallow Outcomes in Heart and Lung Transplant Patients: A Scoping Review

The aim of this scoping review is to characterize the incidence of vocal fold paralysis (VFP), dysphonia, dysphagia, and aspiration in patients undergoing cardiothoracic transplantation and to summarize current literature within this domain.

PubMed, Embase, and Ovid MEDLINE databases.

This review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR).

Of 99 identified studies, 15 met eligibility criteria, comprising 13 clinical studies and two reviews. VFP was reported in 11 studies, dysphagia was reported in seven studies, dysphonia was reported in four studies, and aspiration was reported in six studies. Only seven studies reported diagnostic methods for VFP, and otolaryngology involvement varied across studies, with most diagnoses made by nonotolaryngologists. Long-term follow-up was largely underexplored, with most studies reporting only inpatient outcomes.

VFP and related voice and swallow outcomes have been understudied in the cardiothoracic transplant population, with inconsistent documentation and long-term data. Future work into the standardization of diagnostic protocols, routine otolaryngology involvement, and longitudinal follow-up will allow for a better understanding of risks to improve outcomes in this vulnerable population.