IMPORTANCE Treatment of bilateral vocal cord paralysis is a considerable challenge for otolaryngologists. Many surgical techniques have been developed for the management of this entity to eliminate the need for tracheotomy. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the success of the unilateral carbon dioxide laser endoscopic posterior cordotomy technique for bilateral abductor vocal cord paralysis. DESIGN A r...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Endoscopic management of bilateral vocal fold paralysis (BVFP) includes cordotomy and arytenoidectomy, and has become a well-accepted alternative to tracheostomy. However, the costs and quality-of-life benefits of endoscopic management have not been examined with formal economic analysis. This study undertakes a cost-effectiveness analysis of tracheostomy versus endoscopic...

BACKGROUND Although mirror pain occurs after cordotomy in patients experiencing unilateral pain via a referred pain mechanism, no studies have examined whether this pain mechanism operates in patients who have bilateral pain. OBJECTIVE To assess the usefulness of cordotomy for bilateral pain from the viewpoint of increased pain or new pain caused by a referred pain mechanism. METHODS Twenty...

BACKGROUND Severe chest pain is common in mesothelioma. Percutaneous cervical cordotomy, which interrupts the spinothalamic tract at the C1/C2 level causing contralateral loss of pain sensation, is particularly appropriate in mesothelioma as the tumour is unilateral and systemic analgesia may be ineffective and is limited by harmful side effects. METHOD A retrospective review was performed to...

IMPORTANCE A reliable procedure is needed to solve the problem of difficult airway in patients with bilateral vocal cord paralysis without adversely affecting patient "voice quality." OBJECTIVES To compare the results of laser-assisted posterior cordotomy with diathermy-assisted posterior cordotomy for bilateral vocal cord paralysis in regard to dyspnea severity, voice quality, and aspiration...

The aim of this study was to review all published articles in the literature in English regarding percutaneous cervical cordotomy in cancer pain. Percutaneous cordotomy may be used to relieve unilateral pain below the level of the neck arising from a variety of causes. It is particularly indicated for unilateral chest pain associated with malignant disease. We searched for reports on MEDLINE an...

Palliative cervical cordotomy can be performed via percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of the lateral C1-2 spinothalamic tract. This rare procedure can be safe, effective, and advantageous in mitigating medically intractable unilateral extremity pain for selected patients with end-stage cancer. This report reviews the indications, techniques, risks, and potential benefits of cordotomy. We desc...

BACKGROUND Cordotomy can be effective in relieving pain for patients with mesothelioma, but the evidence to support continued provision is limited. This review forms part of the Invasive Neurodestructive Procedures in Cancer Pain pilot study: The role of cordotomy in mesothelioma-related pain in the UK. AIM/DESIGN We report on the results of the first comprehensive systematic review of the us...

BACKGROUND For more than 25 years, posterior laser transverse cordotomy has been generally considered the ideal endoscopic minimally invasive procedure of choice for bilateral vocal fold immobility. The main drawback of this procedure, when compared to more aggressive "glottic aperture improvement" operations, is the high revision rates, caused by granulations, adhesion, and scar, for example. ...