[Fat injection as treatment for vocal cord palsy: our experience in 21 patients].

BACKGROUND

Vocal cord palsy is a known complication after various operations but there are cases in which the paralysis is idiopathic. Patients complain of severe hoarseness and especially coughing, dysphagia and aspirations which can cause recurrent pneumonia.

METHODS

In the last 4 years we have been using autogenic fat which is injected into the paralyzed vocal cord, a procedure which causes swelling of the cord toward the healthy cord in order to improve the voice quality and to prevent foreign body aspiration. In this retrospective study, we describe the treatment with fat injections in 21 patients diagnosed at the voice clinic in "Rabin" Medical Center and treated in the Department of E.N.T and Head and Neck Surgery, Campus "Beilinson".

RESULTS

Following the treatment, all patients reported that there were no aspirations, there was an improvement of voice quality, and most of them were satisfied with the treatment. Six patients needed an additional fat injection after several months.

CONCLUSION

A fat injection to the vocal cord is a simple, quick, and easy procedure, without any skin incision in the neck and with short hospitalization. It is especially suitable for patients with a probability of vocal cord palsy recovery. Most of the patients do not need additional injections.