Complications of Polydimethylsiloxane for Injection Laryngoplasty: Retrospective Case Series of 10 Patients Requiring Explant and Literature Review.

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) has been reported in the literature as a safe and permanent material for injection laryngoplasty (IL)1 We present a case series of 10 patients who had undergone PDMS-IL at external campuses which resulted in unsatisfactory voice outcomes and were managed with explant. A literature review on PDMS-IL associated complications is presented. In our series, seven out of ten patients (70%) with voice outcomes data, developed an improved voice post PDMS explant. Seven out of ten patients (70%) had improved vocal fold pliability with two patients (20%) having irretrievably damaged pliability due to the PDMS disturbing the superficial lamina propria. All eight patients with specimens submitted for histopathology had foreign body inflammation reported. There were ten additional cases reported in the literature with post PDMS adverse outcomes managed with explant. In the literature, explant improved the voice in seven out of nine patients (78%) with reported voice outcomes and partially restored vocal fold pliability in five out of six patients (83%) which commented on this outcome. PDMS-IL carries a risk of irreversible loss of vocal fold pliability which should be informed to the patient as part of the preoperative informed consent.