Use of a laryngeal mask during medialization laryngoplasty.
OBJECTIVE
In certain instances medialization thyroplasty under local anesthesia is awkward for the patient and complicates surgery. Moreover, for certain operations such as for sulcus vergeture or presbyphonia, subjective auditory appreciation of vocal improvement under operating room conditions is not efficient. In those various instances, we therefore perform thyroplasty under general anaesthesia using a laryngeal mask, and under fibrerscopic control.


METHODS
A joint connecting the laryngeal mask to the ventilation tube is angled and comprises a small valve through which a fiberscope is slipped. We have used this method since April 99 for 11 surgery procedures.


CONCLUSIONS
To date, we have not encountered intraoperative complications that have required intubating the patient in order to continue surgery. It can, however, occur that a change in head posture during surgery displaces the mask. In that event, surgery must be momentarily interrupted in order to re-position the mask. The vocal results met expectations.
Remacle
M
M
University Hospital of Louvain at Mont-Godinne, Department of ORL-Head & Neck Surgery, Therasse Avenue 1, 5530 Yvoir, Belgium. remacle@orlo.ucl.ac.be
Lawson
G
G
Mayné
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017214:Laryngeal Masks; D007830:Larynx / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000601:surgery*; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*