Reduction in Short- and Long-term Pneumonia Rate With Laryngoplasty for Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis

Abstract

Objective

To examine the association of laryngoplasty, voice therapy, and pneumonia rate in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP).

Study Design

Population-based retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Data were collected from the LHID2000 (Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000), containing the information of 1 million randomly selected patients in Taiwan.

Methods

In the LHID2000, we identified 439 patients having new diagnoses of UVFP from 1997 to 2013. We grouped the aforementioned patients according to UVFP treatment and probed the occurrence of pneumonia: 305 patients underwent laryngoplasty or voice therapy, and 134 patients did not undergo treatment. Follow-up procedures were executed for the enrollees until death or December 31, 2013, representing the end of the study period. We assessed the association of UVFP treatment and pneumonia by executing Cox proportional hazards regression.

Results

The pneumonia cumulative incidence was significantly higher among enrolled patients without treatment than in those receiving treatment (P < .001). The pneumonia incidence was significantly lower in patients receiving UVFP treatment (hazard ratio, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.27-0.88; P = .018), as validated by the Cox proportional hazards model after adjustment. Patients undergoing laryngoplasty with or without voice therapy had a significantly lower incidence of pneumonia at 6 months and 1, 3, and 5 years, whereas those undergoing voice therapy alone did not.

Conclusion

Laryngoplasty was associated with a lower incidence of short- and long-term pneumonia in patients with UVFP. Physicians should encourage patients with UVFP at risk of aspiration to receive prompt evaluation as well as treatment.