Thyroid chondroplasty for unilateral vocal fold palsy OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical efficacy of type I thyroid chondroplasty for unilateral vocal fold palsy. METHODS: There were 16 cases of unilateral vocal fold palsy with a disease duration of 6 months-10 years. All patients showed obvious hoarseness before surgery, and three of them had obvious choking and coughing. On preoperative examination, the affected vocal folds were in the paramedian position, the affected arytenoid cartilage was displaced inward and upward, there was bilateral asymmetry, the contralateral vocal folds were not compensated during articulation, and the vocal fissure was large. The surgery was performed by using an external cervical approach, exposing the affected thyroid cartilage plate, opening a window at the vocal fold level and implanting a medical silicone block. The treatment effect was evaluated by electronic laryngoscopy, stroboscopy, voice assessment and voice acoustic parameters analysis before and after the treatment. Postoperative follow-up was more than six months. Results: After surgery, the vocal folds on both sides were internally displaced to median or near median position, the bilateral arytenoid cartilage was symmetrical, the vocal fold vibration and mucosal wave were restored to symmetry, and the vocal folds were well closed. The voice returned to normal in 14 cases and nearly normal in 2 cases; choking symptoms disappeared in all 3 patients. The acoustic parameters of fundamental frequency, frequency perturbation, amplitude perturbation and the mean value of the longest sound time were significantly improved compared with those before surgery (P<0.01). There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: Type I thyroid chondroplasty is a safe and effective measure for the treatment of unilateral vocal cord paralysis.