Thyroplasty Implant

Historically, there have been several methods for treating unilateral vocal cord paralysis. Themost widely accepted procedure has been Teflon injection. This procedure is controversial and futureavailability of Teflon paste is now in question. Another procedure involving the implantation ofhand-carved silicone blocks through the thyroid cartilage to medialize the vocal cord has been termedThyroplasty Type I. The Montgomery Thyroplasty Implant will have several advantages over all previousprocedures: 1) implants will be readily available eliminating the need to fashion or alter silicone at timeof surgery; 2) using the measuring device, the correct size implant can easily be determinedintraoperatively; 3) the implant is easily inserted and snaps into place with no suturing necessary; 4) ifindicated, the implant can be easily removed or replaced without damage to either the cartilaginous orsoft tissue structures. It is the purpose of this study to finalize the design and assess the effectivenessand safety of this new procedure and implant system.