Effectiveness of Complete Voice Rest Followed by Relative Voice Rest Using Confidential Voice after Phonomicrosurgery

Abstract

While phonomicrosurgery is the most commonly adopted phonosurgical procedure, a definite postoperative voice rest protocol has not yet been established. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of our postoperative voice rest protocol. Thirty-one patients who underwent phonomicrosurgery for vocal improvement purposes in our institution between August 2016 and August 2019 were incorporated in this study. Our postoperative voice rest instruction protocol consisted of complete voice rest for 3 postoperative days (pods), relative voice rest using confidential voice for a limited time during 4 to 7 pods, and daily conversation during 8 to 14 pods. Compliance of complete voice rest was 70.9% in our study. Improvement rates of multiple vocal parameters were compared between the complete compliance group (CC group) and incomplete compliance group (IC group). At 3 months after surgery, a significantly higher improvement rate was observed in G score of the CC group compared with that of the IC group. However, no significant differences were observed between the 2 groups regarding improvement rates of glottic closure, MPT, and VHI. As the compliance rate of complete voice rest was higher than previous reports and no significant differences were observed between the 2 groups in any parameter 6 months after surgery, this study suggested the clinical suitablitity of our postoperative voice rest instruction protocol for successful vocal recovery after phonomicrosurgery. Furthermore, compliance of 3 days of complete voice rest was considered to boost early vocal recovery after surgery.