Patient satisfaction after aesthetic chondrolaryngoplasty

Background: Patient's pursuing aesthetic surgery often inquire about the success of the procedure. Having objective data for these patients improves preoperative counseling. To assess patient satisfaction after aesthetic chondrolaryngoplasty using specifically developed outcomes assessment instrument and to evaluate the anatomy of the vocalis insertion on the thyroid cartilage and its effect on the extent of surgical resection. Methods: Retrospective survey of patients who underwent chondrolaryngoplasty from 2006 to 2012. Patients answered 6 questions on a 5-point Likert scale assessing satisfaction from a physical, emotional, and social quality of life perspective. We separately undertook cadaveric dissection to examine the ligamentous attachment of the vocal fold to the thyroid cartilage. All patient were seen in a private practice affiliated with a university medical center. One hundred ninety-eight patients underwent chondrolaryngoplasty during the study period; we were able to contact 112. The main outcome measure is patient satisfaction using a 5-point Likert Scale. Results: Sixty percentage of patients were either “very” or “completely” satisfied with the appearance of their neck and Adam's apple. Only 13% still reported that their neck/Adam's apple still appeared unsatisfactorily prominent or masculine. No patients had permanent voice change, and greater than 90% of patients had no significant voice change of any duration; any voice change was temporary. The most frequent comments from less satisfied patients were the amount of remaining prominence and the size or location of the scar. Conclusions: Aesthetic chondrolaryngoplasty is a safe and effective surgery to reduce the prominence of the thyroid cartilage. Patients should be aware that because of the need to preserve voice it may not be 100% effective from an aesthetic perspective.