Laser phonomicrosurgery of vocal fold polyps using CO2 and 532-nm lasers in Republic of Korea: a retrospective studies

Yeon Soo Kim; Dabin Lee; Jaehyung Park; Kwang-Yoon Jung; Seung-Kuk Baek

doi:10.25289/ML.24.019

Med Lasers

Laser phonomicrosurgery of vocal fold polyps using CO₂ and 532-nm lasers in Republic of Korea: a retrospective studies

Yeon Soo Kim, Dabin Lee, Jaehyung Park, Kwang-Yoon Jung, Seung-Kuk Baek

Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea

Correspondence to: Seung-Kuk Baek
E-mail: mdskbaek@gmail.com
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4751-0337

Received: June 25, 2024; Accepted: July 24, 2024; Published online: August 19, 2024.

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract: Background: Laser laryngeal microsurgery is a common treatment of vocal fold polyps (VFP), a leading cause of dysphonia. The CO₂ laser is predominantly used for its precision in excising delicate tissues while minimizing damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. The 532-nm diode laser can also be employed for the cauterization of the microvasculature within the vocal folds. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of the 532-nm diode laser in the treatment of VFP.
Methods: Forty-four patients diagnosed with VFP were enrolled and underwent laser laryngeal microsurgery using a CO₂ laser. The patients were divided into two groups: one receiving additional treatment with the 532- nm diode laser. Voice status was assessed and compared preoperatively and postoperatively using acoustic analysis, aerodynamic analysis, voice range profile, the GRBAS scale, and the voice handicap index (VHI).
Results: The mean flow rate and maximal pitch showed significant improvements from preoperative to postoperative measurements in additional 532-nm diode laser treatment group. All objective indicators demonstrated normalization and enhancement following surgery. Subjective perceptual assessments also indicated significant improvement postoperatively, and the VHI showed improvement across all domains. However, there was no significant difference in the test results between the two groups, regardless of the additional use of the 532-nm diode laser.
Conclusion: Laser phonomicrosurgery using both CO₂ and 532-nm diode lasers is an effective in treating VFP. Although the additional benefit of the diode laser was not conclusively demonstrated, its potential for photocoagulating the vocal fold microvasculature suggests further research is warranted.; Keywords: Lasers; Larynx; Laryngeal neoplasms; Vocal cords