Comparison Between Laser- and Diathermy-Assisted Posterior Cordotomy for Bilateral Vocal Cord Abductor Paralysis

IMPORTANCE A reliable procedure is needed to solve the problem of difficult airway in patients with bilateral vocal cord paralysis without adversely affecting patient ``voice quality.{''} OBJECTIVES To compare the results of laser-assisted posterior cordotomy with diathermy-assisted posterior cordotomy for bilateral vocal cord paralysis in regard to dyspnea severity, voice quality, and aspiration. DESIGN Prospective randomized clinical trial at a university medical center. SETTING Zagazig University Hospitals, Zagazig, Egypt. PARTICIPANTS Twenty patients randomly categorized into 2 groups; group A was treated with laser-assisted posterior cordotomy and group B was treated with diathermy-assisted posterior cordotomy. INTERVENTION Laser-assisted posterior cordotomy for group A and diathermy-assisted posterior cordotomy for group B. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURE Dyspnea severity, voice quality, and aspiration. RESULTS A significant difference (P < .05) was found between group A and group B at all postoperative comparisons in dyspnea, whereas no significant difference (P >= .05) was detected at all postoperative comparisons in voice quality. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Laser-assisted posterior cordotomy can be considered as a reliable and superior procedure compared with diathermy-assisted posterior cordotomy in the treatment of bilateral vocal cord abductor paralysis.