Electrically Stimulated Glottal Opening Combined with Adductor Muscle Botox Blockade Restores Both Ventilation and Voice in a Patient with Bilateral Laryngeal Paralysis

The purpose of this study was to determine whether paced electrical stimulation of the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle with an implantable device could restore ventilation in a patient with bilateral vocal fold paralysis without disturbing voice. In the first US case of a multi-institutional study, this patient was implanted with an Itrel II stimulator (Medtronic, Inc). In monthly postoperative sessions over an 18-month period, an effective stimulus paradigm was derived, the magnitude of stimulated vocal fold abduction and ventilation was measured, and perceptual judgments of voice quality were made. After identification of optimum parameters, posterior cricoarytenoid muscle stimulation produced a moderately large vocal fold abduction of 4 mm, but only marginal improvement in mouth ventilation, with no change in voice quality. After adductor muscle blockade with botulinum toxin, the patient's voice improved with increased phonatory airflow, but ventilation through the passive airway was still inadequate. However, by combining these Two therapeutic strategies, dynamic abduction increased to 7 mm, ventilation through the mouth surpassed that through the tracheotomy (allowing decannulation), and voice quality was restored to normal.