Comparing Pre-Post Outcomes of Laryngeal Microsurgery With Voice Therapy for Patients With Vocal Fold Polyps

Abstract

Background and Objectives The aim of this study is to compare the acoustic and auditory-perceptual assessment of patients with vocal fold polyps (VP) before and after laryngeal microsurgery (LMS) and voice therapy (VT).Materials and Method A retrospective cohort design was employed. Sustained vowels and continuous speech samples produced by 36 patients diagnosed with VP were analyzed. Treatment outcome measures included, cepstral peak prominence (CPP), smoothed cepstral peak prominence (CPPS), acoustic voice quality index (AVQI), acoustic breathiness index (ABI), auditory-perceptual (A-P) ratings (G of GRBAS scale and overall severity [OS] of consensus auditory-perceptual evaluation of voice), and voice handicap index-10 (VHI-10).Results Following LMS and VT, significant improvements in CPP, CPPS, AVQI, ABI (p<0.001) were observed. Additionally, A-P ratings (G and OS) and VHI-10 (p<0.001) significantly improved following LMS and VT. Acoustic analyses, A-P ratings and VHI-10 indicated that the voice quality has improved following LMS and VT.Conclusion Our study demonstrates that the concurrent application of LMS and VT in patients with VP leads to improvements in both voice quality and patient satisfaction. These findings underscore the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in the management of VP, integrating both surgical and therapeutic interventions for optimal outcomes.