Bilateral vocal fold paralysis (BVFP) in adduction is characterised by inspiratory dyspnea, due to the paramedian position of the vocal folds with narrowing of the airway at the glottic level. The condition is often life threatening and therefore requires surgical intervention to prevent acute asphyxiation or pulmonary consequences of chronic airway obstruction. Aside from corticosteroid administration and intubation, which are only temporary measures, the standard approach for improving respiration is to perform a tracheotomy. Over the past century, a vast majority of surgical interventions have been developed and applied to restore the patency of the airway and achieve decannulation. Surgeons can generally choose for every individual patient from various well-established treatment options, which have a predictable outcome. An overview of the surgical techniques for laryngeal airway enlargement in BVFP is presented. Included are operative techniques, which have found application in clinical practice, and only to a small extent in purely anatomic or animal studies. The focus is on two major groups of interventions--for temporary and for definitive glottic enlargement. The major types of interventions include the following: (1) resection of anatomical structures; (2) retailoring and displacing the existing structures, with minimal tissue removal; (3) displacing existing structures, without tissue resection; (4) restoration or substitution of the missing innervation of the laryngeal musculature. The single interventions of these four major types have always followed the development of the medical equipment and anaesthesia. At the beginning of the twentieth century, when medicine was unable to counteract surgical infection, endoscopic or extramucosal surgical techniques were dominant. In the 1950s, the microscopic endoscopic laryngeal surgery boomed. At the end of the twentieth century many of the classical endoscopic operations were performed either with the help of surgical lasers alone, or in combination with other interventions.

The initial management of bilateral abductor vocal cord paralysis is usually tracheostomy. It is proposed that a reversible endoscopic vocal cord lateral fixation would avoid this morbid procedure. The operation is performed by laryngoscopy utilizing the endo-extralaryngeal suture technique of Lichtenberger. Two polypropylene sutures are looped over one of the paralyzed vocal cords and brought out through the neck skin. A small incision is made, and the sutures are secured in the sternohyoid muscle. If movement of one or both vocal cords returns, the sutures are removed. Sixty-one of 63 cases were successful. In 53 cases, the airway became stable, without return of function. In 8 cases, one or both of the vocal cords became mobile 3 to 4 months after the operation. The reversible endo-extralaryngeal lateralization of the vocal cord using the above suture technique ensures a stable airway immediately. This technique avoids the need for tracheostomy in cases of bilateral abductor vocal cord paralysis.

The author reports on an instrument which is suitable for stitching from inside to outside under laryngomicroscopic control without opening the larynx. The instrument, as well as the operation techniques based on the instrument, permit the simple treatment of vocal cord synechiae and of laryngostenosis consequent to bilateral paralysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve.

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The author reports on glottis dilation operations based on the endoextralaryngeal suture technique he has developed. In all, 101 patients were operated on for bilateral recurrent nerve paralysis using different variations of the above method, of which 73 have had more than 1 year of follow-up. Dilation was performed in 52 patients following tracheostomy, whereas no tracheostomy was performed in 21 patients. In 9 cases irreversible laterofixation without tracheostomy was performed with good results. In 12 patients a reversible glottis dilating operation was carried out without tracheostomy not long after the development of bilateral paramedian position of the vocal cords. Tracheostomy was necessary in 1 of 12 patients, who underwent reversible glottis dilating operations. In this case later reoperation, using a definitive endoscopic glottis dilating operation, was performed with success. Three patients required reoperation using open surgical procedures after irreversible endoscopic laterofixation methods.