Gender Differences a Factor in Vocal Cord Injections

Newswise — Vocal cord paralysis is a common disorder, and symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening. Vocal cord injection is a procedure that is employed to reposition a patient's paralyzed vocal cord to improve the voice and to alleviate difficulty in swallowing and coughing that can result when food or liquid slips into the trachea and lungs.

A new study presented at the 2007 AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO has determined that women and men require different techniques for vocal cord injections. The injection entails placing filler material into the paralyzed cord to bring it closer to the other vocal cord. Study authors discovered that women required less injectable filler material than men to produce the desired position of the paralyzed vocal cord, perhaps due to the smaller size of the female larynx.

Study results should be considered in future vocal cord injection procedures, depending on the patient's gender.

Title: Influence of Gender and Position on Injection LaryngoplastyAuthors: I-Fan Theodore Mau, MD Phd,Mark S Courey, MDDate: Tuesday, September 18, 11:32 am - 11:40 am

Information for the MediaThe AAO-HNS Annual Meeting newsroom will be located in Registration East, Street Level of the Washington, D.C. Convention Center. Hours of operation: Saturday, September 15, 12 pm to 5 pm; Sunday - Tuesday, September 16 -18, 7:30 am to 5 pm; and Wednesday, September 19, 7:30 am to 2 pm. The newsroom serves as a work space for credentialed members of the media and credentialed public relations staff. The newsroom is managed and staffed by the AAO-HNS Communications Unit. Please see the AAO-HNS website for media credentialing requirements for the event - http://www.entnet.org/ent-press/online_reg.cfm.

About the AAO-HNSThe American Academy of Otolaryngology " Head and Neck Surgery (http://www.entnet.org), one of the oldest medical associations in the nation, represents more than 12,000 physicians and allied health professionals who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the ears, nose, throat, and related structures of the head and neck. The Academy serves its members by facilitating the advancement of the science and art of medicine related to otolaryngology and by representing the specialty in governmental and socioeconomic issues. The organization's mission: "Working for the Best Ear, Nose, and Throat Care."