Vocal Folds After Removal

A 68-year-old man underwent C5 anterior corpectomy with fusion (C4-C6) with expandable cage, autograft, and anterior instrumentation and posterior spinal decompression and fusion (C4-7) for cervical spondylotic myelopathy presented 5 months later with odynophagia and dysphagia. The patient eventually elected to have the cervical spinal hardware removed 22 months postoperatively. Two months after removal of the anterior cervical spinal plate, laryngoscopic examination showed the left vocal fold had regained abduction and the right vocal fold had minimal, although improved, abduction from prior. Four months later, laryngoscopic examination showed full mobility of the left vocal fold and a hypomobile right vocal fold. The patient required no further intervention for his dyspnea. Click the Related Article link for full details.