Real-Time Light-Guided Vocal Fold Injection for Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis: Experience From 378 Consecutive...

Accurate needle localization is a key challenge in the cricothyroid (CT) approach to vocal fold injection (VFI) due to invisibility. Real-time light-guided VFI (RL-VFI) was developed to enhance precision through simultaneous light guidance. This study aimed to evaluate safety and feasibility of office-based RL-VFI with hyaluronic acid (HA) in a large-scale (>300), consecutive patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP).

Retrospective cohort study.

Tertiary referral center.

A total of 378 RL-VFI with HA were consecutively performed on 257 UVFP patients. Complications were monitored intraoperatively and for 4 weeks post-procedure. Voice outcomes were assessed using voice handicap index (VHI)-10, grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, and strain (GRBAS) scale, acoustic analysis, and aerodynamic study at baseline and 4 weeks postoperatively.

Most cases involved left-sided paralysis (83.7%), primarily due to surgery (63.4%) or metastasis (26.1%). In all cases, HA was injected at the intended point in the paralyzed vocal fold under light guidance, with no superficial injection or mucosal penetration. Average procedure time was 114.0 ± 105.1 seconds for the initial injection and 80.6 ± 77.7 seconds for additional injections. No serious acute or delayed complications occurred. Among 180 cases with complete voice assessments, significant improvements were observed in voice-related parameters including VHI-10, GRBAS scale, maximum phonation time, mean expiratory airflow, jitter, shimmer, and noise-to-harmonics ratio.

RL-VFI with HA is a feasible and safe technique for treating patients with UVFP. It enables precise confirmation of needle tip localization and facilitates accurate injection into the intended target during the CT approach.