Voice Quality of Life after Type II Thyroplasty for Spasmodic Dysphonia

Abstract

Objective: 1) Determine the effectiveness of type II thyroplasty for adductor spasmodic dysphonia (AdSD), through perceptual and accoustic analysis. 2) Assess the pre- and postoperative quality of life of AdSD patients using the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10).

Method: Retrospective study. Twelve patients with AdSD underwent type II thyroplasty between March 2007 and December 2010. Measured outcomes included perceptual assessment, acoustic analyses (DVB, SDF0, jitter, shimmer, and HNR), and VHI-10 and were performed prior to and six months or more after surgery. VHI-10 and acoustic evaluation scores were compared.

Results: Average follow-up interval was 12.6 months. In perceptual analysis (GRBAS), overall grade and strain significantly improved after surgery (P = .0017, P = .0002). There were no significant difference in roughness, breathiness, and asthenia. In acoustic analysis, DVB, SDF0, jitter, shimmer, and HNR (P = .039, P = .0003, P = .0016, P = .0011, P = .0003) improved significantly after surgery. Mean VHI-10 scores significantly improved from a mean of 26.5 to 3.75.

Conclusion: Treatment of AdSD with type II thyroplasty significantly improved voice-related quality of life and acoustic findings. The study revealed a significant relationship between the acoustic parameters and the VHI-10. The results confirmed that VHI-10 can be a valuable tool for assessing type II thyroplasty for AdSD.