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.