Voice-related quality of life (V-RQOL) following type I thyroplasty for unilateral vocal fold paralysis.
Unilateral vocal fold paralysis is a common clinical problem which frequently causes severe dysphonia. Various treatment options exist for this condition, with the type I thyroplasty being one of the more commonly performed surgical procedures for vocal rehabilitation. The Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL) Measure is a validated outcomes instrument for voice disorders. This study measured the V-RQOL of patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis who had undergone a type I thyroplasty and compared these scores to those of patients with untreated and uncompensated unilateral vocal fold paralysis and to normals. Treated patients had significantly higher domain and overall V-RQOL scores than untreated patients, but also scored lower than normals. These differences were true across gender and age. Patients who were more distant from surgery had lower V-RQOL scores than those who had more recently been treated. It is concluded that type I thyroplasty leads to a significantly higher V-RQOL for patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis. This study also demonstrates further the utility of patient-oriented measures of treatment outcome.
Duke Scholars
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Related Subject Headings
- Voice Disorders
- Vocal Cord Paralysis
- Thyroid Gland
- Surveys and Questionnaires
- Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology
- Severity of Illness Index
- Quality of Life
- Postoperative Period
- Middle Aged
- Male
Citation
Published In
DOI
ISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Location
Related Subject Headings
- Voice Disorders
- Vocal Cord Paralysis
- Thyroid Gland
- Surveys and Questionnaires
- Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology
- Severity of Illness Index
- Quality of Life
- Postoperative Period
- Middle Aged
- Male