Vocal fold paralysis impairs breathing, swallowing, and the vocal function. Since it was first described by Isshiki in the 1970s, type I thyroplasty has become an increasingly common procedure for the surgical treatment of glottic incompetence in patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis. The early days when the medialization laryngoplasty was started, a patient’s own tissue, such as cartilage, was used for the fixation of a medialization. Over the years, to reduce invasion and increase the efficacy of surgery, ready-made implants have been developed. In addition, an instrument designed exclusively for performing these operations smoothly has also been developed. The characteristics and problems associated with various types of thyroplasty implants are herein reported.
