Management of Severe Dysphonia and Dysphagia Following Lateral Skull Base Surgery.

Objectives: Lateral skull base surgeries pose a risk of injuring the lower cranial nerves, leading to potential postoperative complications such as dysphonia and dysphagia. Conservative treatments have shown limited efficacy in addressing these resultant voice and swallowing dysfunctions, significantly impacting patient quality of life. This study aims to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a combined surgical approach involving autologous fat injection laryngoplasty (AFIL) and transcervical cricopharyngeal myotomy (TCPM) in patients suffering from severe dysphonia and dysphagia following lateral skull base surgery.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 16 patients who underwent concurrent AFIL and TCPM to improve severe dysphonia and dysphagia following lateral skull base surgery. Preoperative and postoperative assessments of voice and swallowing functions were performed using the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10), GRBAS scale, maximum phonation time (MPT), the Chinese version of Swallow Quality-of-Life Questionnaire (CSWAL-QOL), and videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (VFSS).

Results: The results demonstrated notable improvements in voice quality and swallowing function. The VHI-10 score improved significantly from a preoperative mean of 32.06 ± 4.92 to a postoperative 9.06 ± 5.24. The results of the perceptual parameters of the GRBAS scale also improved significantly. The MPT increased from a preoperative average of 3.91 ± 1.00 seconds to 9.14 ± 2.44 seconds postoperatively. The CSWAL-QOL scores significantly improved from a preoperative score of 92.44 ± 17.75 to 130.19 ± 26.07 postoperatively. The VFSS-SWAL scores decreased from 6.63 ± 1.36 before surgery to 3.56 ± 1.58 after surgery. Similarly, the Penetration Aspiration Scale (PAS) scores significantly dropped from 6.38 ± 1.05 preoperatively to 2.93 ± 1.48 postoperatively. Nine out of 11 patients were able to have their gastric tubes successfully removed after surgery. There were no significant postoperative complications.

Conclusion: Concurrent AFIL and TCPM present a promising reconstructive method for patients experiencing severe dysphonia and dysphagia following lateral skull base surgery, highlighting its value in the postoperative management of complex lower cranial nerve injuries.