Superficial injection of steroids into the true vocal folds can be performed to reduce or prevent vocal fold scar formation as well as for treatments of benign vocal fold lesions.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17797/zle2prpaif
Editor Recruited By: Michael M. Johns, III, MD
In-office awake vocal fold steroid injection
Mild to moderate vocal fold scar
Benign vocal fold lesions
Post-benign vocal fold lesion removal to facilitate healing by reducing inflammation
Need for global vocal fold augmentation
Patient anxiety
Significant gag reflex
Medical comorbidities that contraindicate an in-office procedure
Patient sits in an upright position in a chair. Physician driving the laryngoscope stands on the patient¢s right side while the assistant, who passes the lidocaine drip catheter and injector, stands on the patient¢s left.
Blood pressure and heart rate measurements before the procedure.
Good knowledge of the laryngeal anatomy.
Advantages: Avoids general anesthesia, easy patient tolerability
Disadvantages: Usually done serially thus requires multiple procedures
Vasovagal reaction, epistaxis, vocal fold hematoma, vocal fold atrophy after serial dexamethasone injection
Vasovagal reaction, epistaxis, vocal fold hematoma, vocal fold atrophy after serial dexamethasone injection
N/A
Campagnolo AM, Tsuji DH, Sennes LU, Imamura R, Saldiva PH. Histologic study of acute vocal fold wound healing after corticosteroid injection in a rabbit model. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2010;119(2):133-9.
Zhou H, Sivasankar M, Kraus DH, Sandulache VC, Amin M, Branski RC. Glucocorticoids regulate extracellular matrix metabolism in human vocal fold fibroblasts. Laryngoscope. 2011;121(9):1915-9.
Wang CT, Lai MS, Hsiao TY. Comprehensive Outcome Researches of Intralesional Steroid Injection on Benign Vocal Fold Lesions. J Voice. 2015;29(5):578-87.
Shi LL, Giraldez-Rodriguez LA, Johns MM 3rd. The Risk of Vocal Fold Atrophy after Serial Corticosteroid Injections of the Vocal Fold. J Voice. 2015 Nov 24. [Epub ahead of print]
Office steroid injections of the larynx.
Mortensen M, Woo P.
Laryngoscope. 2006 Oct;116(10):1735-9.
This video shows a transotic approach for a cochlear schwannoma in a 59-year-old female who presented with sudden sensorineural hearing loss in her left three years prior. She was found to have subsequent growth of her tumor on imaging and elected to undergo surgery. The transotic approach is a valuable approach within the armamentarium of a skull base team and differs from the transcochlear approach in the handling of the facial nerve. Techniques for ear canal overclosure, eustachian tube packing and mastoid obliteration are also highlighted.
Here, we have a 39 yrs old female with complaints of noisy breathing for last two years post thyroidectomy. Flexible laryngoscopy confirmed bilateral vocal cord paralysis. She was planned for coblation assisted cordectomy.
Patient was taken up for procedure under general anaesthesia. She also started having stridor after induction. Nasopharyngeal intubation with spontaneous breathing technique was used. Entropy leads were placed over forehead to monitor the depth of anaesthesia. Tube position was confirmed with endoscopic view and Benjamin lindohlm laryngoscope was suspended. As the patient was spontaneously breathing, the stridor became more prominent, with stable vitals and the procedure was continued. The vocal cord retractor was fixed and coblation wand was then used with 7:3 settings for ablation and coagulation respectively. The surgical limits were-anteriorly the junction between ant 2/3 and post 1/3 of the vocal cord, posteriorly just anterior to the vocal process of arytenoid to prevent cartilage exposure and post operative granulations. Superely till the ventricle and inferioly till the medial most surface of the subglottis. Laterally approx. 5 mm depth was defined to prevent injury to the superior laryngeal artery branch and further bleeding. Once the final airway was achieved , the topical lignocaine was used to prevent laryngeal spasm post extubation.
The patient was shifted to the ward without oxygen, the voice was assessed on post op day 2.
Patient was called for follow up on post op day 14th and good voice outcomes were achieved.
So lets have a look on some tips & tricks for the safe procedure—–
Nasopharyngeal insufflation technique with entropy monitor will give adequate and safe surgical field
2. Appropriate exposure will help you to delineate the surgical margins
3. Topical anaesthesia before and after the procedure will prevent sudden laryngeal spasm
4. Firm holding of coblation device will help to prevent injury to surrounding structures like anterior 2/3 vocal cord, opposite side vocal cord, medial surface of vocal cord or aryteroid posteriorly
5. Do not ablate more laterally to prevent bleeding, if at all it happens, use patties or coagulation switch for hemostasis.
6. And at the end of the procedure ,use catheter suction to suck out blood clots or saline from the airway if any….
To Conclude-Coblation Assisted Cordectomy( CAC) can be performed safely with good outcomes in case of bilateral vocal cord paralysis using tubeless anesthesia technique without tracheostomy !
We present the harvest of a osteocutaneous fibula free flap for head and neck reconstruction performed at the University of Cincinnati. This reconstructive technique has a wide variety of implications but has found greatest utility in the reconstruction of mandibular defects.
Review In-Office Awake Vocal Fold Steroid Injection.