Non-Selective Laryngeal Reinnervation for Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis

Unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) is a nightmare for professional voice users or people with high voice demand such as singers, lawyers, teachers, training consultants and etc. The UVFP occurs due to physical or physiological injury to the vagus nerve or, more commonly, its branch, the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN). Common aetiologies of UVFPare iatrogenic, neoplastic and idiopathic. However, the commonest cause is iatrogenic including thyroid surgery, carotid endarterectomy, anterior approaches to the cervical spine, and heart or great vessel surgery (1). Risk of permanent vocal fold palsy following thyroidectomy has been estimated at 1-2% (2) but this may be a considerable underestimate due to problems of followup and reporting.