Injectable teflon for vocal cord paralysis

Injection of PTFE for vocal cord paralysis has proved to be a reliable and successful technique for rehabilitation of the dysphonia and aspiration related to recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis. With appropriate patient selection, Polytef injection remains a viable and acceptable technique for rehabilitation of affected patients. The incidence of complications of Polytef injection is strongly related to technique and to the characteristics of the PTFE itself. At the Mayo Clinic since 1982, 360 patients have undergone vocal fold injections with Polytef paste. During that time, 16 patients have undergone removal of PTFE. Only a portion of the injections requiring revision were performed at this institution. It is certainly possible that patients who had Polytef injections performed at this institution presented at other facilities fur treatment of complications related to Polytef placement. Therefore, the true incidence of difficulty related to PTFE injection is uncertain but very low. The patient prognosis (related to the cause of vocal fold paralysis), vocal demands, cost, and physician preference are additional factors whether Polytef injection or an alternative method of vocal fold medialization is undertaken.