Therapeutic Decision Making of the Unilateral Vocal Cord Palsy after Thyroidectomy Using Thyroidectomy-Related Voice Questionnaire

Objectives: Investigate the efficacy of early management of post-thyroidectomy unilateral vocal cord palsy (UVCP) and the clinical utility of the thyroidectomy-related voice questionnaire (TVQ) when planning UVCP treatment. Methods: The study group comprised 48 consecutive patients diagnosed with UVCP after thyroidectomy. Laryngoscopic examination and voice analysis were conducted, and the TVQ was administered pre-thyroidectomy and at 2 weeks and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-thyroidectomy. Twenty-five patients with aspiration symptoms and severe vocal difficulties received injection laryngoplasty, and 23 with no aspiration symptoms and relatively mild vocal difficulties underwent voice therapy. We performed a video fluoroscopic swallowing study on each patient 2 weeks after thyroidectomy and 1 month following the procedure. Results: The average total TVQ scores 2 weeks afterthyroidectomy were 51.92 ± 11.42 in the injection laryngoplasty group and 35.78 ± 12.99 in the voice therapy group. Both subjective and objective parameters improved significantly at 1 month after treatment and continued to improve slowly over the next 12 months (P < .01) in both groups. TVQ scores were significantly lower in the injection laryngoplasty group than in the voice therapy group 1 month post-intervention (P < .01). At the study end point, the greatest improvement in subjective symptoms occurred in temporary VCP patients who underwent injection laryngoplasty. The optimal TVQ score cutoff distinguishing the 2 groups was 45 (68.0% sensitivity, 78.3% specificity). Conclusions: Early management following timely diagnosis of post-thyroidectomy UVCP can improve symptoms within 1 month. Moreover, application of TVQ will aid clinicians to plan treatment for postoperative VCP patients.