Unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) is a common problem in the otolaryngology field. The most frequent cause is recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury due to an extra-laryngeal malignancy, such as a thyroid tumor or iatrogenic or idiopathic etiology. Regardless of the cause of nerve injury, The optimal management of UVFP to obtain a “normal” voice post-operatively is becoming an increasingly relevant issue. We herein review the history of the development of laryngeal reinnervation techniques, such as primary RLN anastomosis, Ansa-cervicalis-to-RLN neurorrhaphy and Ansa-cervicalis nerve-muscle pedicle implantation, verified with various experimental animal models. In addition, the treatment algorithm for UVFP is discussed.
