For the first time, a patient in Flanders has received an adjustable vocal cord implant. Doctors at Leuven University Hospital (UZ Leuven) placed the innovative implant on a patient with vocal cord problems. ‘The volume of the implant can be adjusted via a simple prick, allowing the sound of the voice to be adjusted even after surgery,’ Prof Dr Jeroen Meulemans told VRT.
If your vocal cords are no longer working properly because they no longer fit together properly, either or both vocal cords will then become a lot thinner, which can cause hoarseness and swallowing and breathing problems.
There are 3 options to fix this. An injection into the damaged vocal cord, which thickens it again and allows the vocal cords to reconnect better. This will improve your speech, but the effect is temporary.
The problems can also be remedied with surgery during which the non-functioning vocal cord nerve in the neck is connected to a nerve that still works. The vocal cord then receives new nerve impulses and works as it should again.
The third option is a silicone implant. This produces good results, but the disadvantage is that the vocal cords weaken again afterwards, sometimes requiring another operation to place a larger implant.
The technique has now received an update: thanks to a special balloon attached to the implant, the voice can still be adjusted after the implant has been placed, without the need for the patient to have to undergo surgery again.
Nose, throat, ear and face and neck surgeon Jeroen Meulemans explains: 'The implant contains a small balloon that can be filled with fluid. This allows the volume of the implant to be adjusted later via a simple prick. As a result, it can remain in place for life, and no new surgery is needed to perform voice correction.'
Such an implant is usually placed under a local anaesthetic, as the surgery team can then listen to the patient's voice. In this way, they can immediately make adjustments where necessary. ‘This is an important step forward for people with vocal cord problems,’ Prof Dr Meulemans explains.
It is the second time someone in Belgium has received a voice implant like this. A similar procedure was carried out on a Walloon patient at UCL University Hospital in Namur in June.