Medialization Laryngoplasty With Gore-Tex: An Animal Study * Cengiz Durucu, *Muzaffer Kanlikama, *Semih Mumbuc, †Yildirim Bayazit, ‡Kemal Bakir, and *Erkan Karatas *‡Gaziantep, Turkey, and †Ankara, Turkey Summary:Vocal cord paralysis is a disease that can cause voice disability and aspiration problems. Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE; Gore- Tex) has been widely used in cardiovascular and plastic surgery; however, its biocompatibility and safety have not been established precisely in the lar- ynx.In this study, the biocompatibility and safety of ePTFE used in vocal cord medialization in the rabbit larynx were assessed. Type 1 thyroplasty with Gore-Tex was performed on one side of the larynx in eight rabbits. A sham procedure was applied on the contralateral side of their larynx. The rab- bits were sacrificed after 6 months, and macroscopic and microscopic evalu- ationsand comparisons were performed. No significantinflammatory response to Gore-Tex or displacement of the implant was seen. There was only a tiny fibrotic capsule surrounding the material in each specimen. In- tense eosinophilic cell infiltration was seen surrounding one rabbit specimen. Gore-Tex seems to be a biocompatible, stable, and reversible material that can be safely used in laryngeal framework surgery. Key Words:Gore-Tex—ePTFE—Medialization laryngoplasty—Vocal cord paralysis. INTRODUCTION Unilateral vocalcord paralysis can result from a variety of pathologies and may cause hoarseness and aspiration. Because of improvements in surgi- cal techniques and expectations of a better quality of life, recent research has focused on the treatment of unilateral vocal cord paralysis. Numerous treat- menttechniquesuch as vocal cord injections (injection laryngoplasty), laryngeal reinnervation, transcartilaginous augmentation (medialization laryngoplasty, thyroplasty), and arytenoid rotation (arytenoidadductionandarytenoidopexy) have been used to rehabilitate the paralyzed vocal fold by enhancingthe aerodynamic valvularcom- petency of the glottis. The firstsurgical treatment of unilateral paralyticdysphonia was Brunings’ intracordal injection of paraffin in 1911. 1 In 1915, Payr introduced the anteriorly based thyroid carti- lage flap. 2 Recently, external approach with medial- izationthyroplastyhas beenthe mostpopular method for the treatment of unilateral vocalcord paralysis. Accepted for publication May 9, 2006. From the *Gaziantep University Otorhinolaryngology De- partment, Gaziantep, Turkey; †Gazi University Otorhinolaryn- gologyDepartment, Ankara,Turkey;and the ‡Gaziantep University Pathology Department, Gaziantep, Turkey. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Cengiz Dur- ucu,Gaziantep University, Medicine Faculty Sahinbey Hospi- tal,27100 Gaziantep, Turkey. E-mail: cdurucu@yahoo.com Journal of Voice, Vol.21,No.5, pp.632–639 0892-1997/$32.00 Ó 2007 The Voice Foundation doi:10.1016/j.jvoice.2006.05.003 632