Larynx Preservation with Supracricoid Partial Laryngectomy with Cricohyoidoepiglottopexy

Classically, the formation of a mucosal wave is dependent on the pliable mucosa present in the vocal fold. The supracricoid partial laryngectomy with cricohyoidoepiglottopexy is an organ preservation surgical technique in which both true vocal folds, both false vocal folds, both paraglottic spaces, and the entire thyroid cartilage are resected. The functional goal is speech and swallowing without a permanent tracheostomy. In an effort to further study voice production in these patients, we performed laryngeal stroboscopy in 5 patients. Analysis was performed with a modified Bless grading system. In addition, speech and voice parameters were also measured and correlated with stroboscopic findings. The key finding in this study was the presence of a periodic mucosal wave on the anterior aspect of the arytenoid cartilage, where it abuts the epiglottic cartilage. Patients with lower periodicity and symmetry scores tended to have lower jitter and shimmer percentages.