Long-term results of Artecoll injection laryngoplasty for patients with unilateral vocal fold motion impairment: safety and clinical efficacy.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the long-term clinical efficacy and safety of injections of Artecoll, a soft-tissue filler consisting of a suspension of polymethyl methacrylate microspheres in a 3.5% solution of bovine collagen, into a vocal fold for managing glottal insufficiency secondary to unilateral vocal fold motion impairment.

DESIGN

Single-institution retrospective study.

SETTING

A single tertiary care teaching hospital of Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine.

PATIENTS: Ninety-six patients with unilateral vocal fold motion impairment.

INTERVENTIONS: Percutaneous Artecoll injection laryngoplasty under local anesthesia.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Acoustic, aerodynamic, and stroboscopic analyses were performed before injection and 1 week and 3, 6, and 12 months after injection. Two speech-language pathologists performed the perceptual assessment, and we used the subjective rating of hoarseness by the patients.

RESULTS

The maximal phonation time, shimmer (amplitude variation), jitter (frequency variation), and ratio of noise to harmonic showed significant improvement 3 months after injection; these improvements were maintained 12 months after injection (P < .05). The GRBAS scale (overall grade of hoarseness, roughness, breathiness, asthenicity, and strain) grades and subjective patient-rated scores of hoarseness improved from 1 week after injection, and the improvements were maintained 12 months after injection (P < .05). We observed no significant early or delayed adverse events.

CONCLUSION

Injection laryngoplasty with Artecoll is a safe, useful, and durable treatment option for the management of glottal insufficiency secondary to unilateral vocal fold motion impairment.