Submucosal cordectomy for laryngeal stenosis.

Submucosal cordectomy, an old procedure first described for the treatment of bilateral abductor vocal cord paralysis, was used to relieve glottic or minimal subglottic stenosis in four patients. Three attained adequate airways with no further procedures; one required subsequent dilations for granulation tissue after which decannulation was successfully effected. Although airway restoration has been successful, the resultant voice has been poor, poorer than that usually achieved with arytenoidectomy. When cricoarytenoid scarring precludes arytenoidectomy and lateral vocal cord fixation, an adequate laryngeal lumen can be restored with submucosal cordectomy if sufficient laryngeal cartilage support remains.