A Case of Injection Laryngoplasty in a Patient With Delayed-Onset Aspiration Following Near Total Laryngectomy

Abstract

Near total laryngectomy (NTL) is a procedure that creates a biological shunt between the airway and the neopharynx. Compared to total laryngectomy, NTL shunt performed in a suitable patient gives the ability to phonate at will. However, NTL has a potential for leak due to the invagination of the shunt into the neopharynx. Injection laryngoplasty is a mini-invasive technique that aims to manage aspiration caused by iatrogenic surgical complications. The procedure consists of moving a patient’s vocal cord toward the midline by injecting augmentation material. Authors report a case of a 74-year-old female, who was previously diagnosed to supraglottic cancer and have gone through NTL 12 years ago. 11 years after surgery, she reported aspiration through the neopharynx. Injection laryngoplasty was performed to relieve the leakage and she underwent the procedure two times using Hyaluronic acid. After injection laryngoplasty, leakage moderately decreased and the patient reported alleviation of her symptoms.