The Laryngoscope
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Longer length of stay (LOS) after elective surgery is associated with an increased use of health care resources and higher costs. The objectives of this study were to determine the perioperative factors that predict a prolonged LOS after elective major head and neck operations and to test the hypothesis that factors related to process of care (intra- and postoperative) independently predict prolonged LOS after adjustment for preoperative patient characteristics. ⋯ Several intraoperative processes and postoperative adverse events contributed additional predictive information for prolonged LOS, after consideration of preoperative patient characteristics.
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To develop and evaluate the voice outcomes of an approach of arytenoid adduction (AA) through a fenestration of the thyroid ala for unilateral vocal cord paralysis. ⋯ A fenestration-based approach simplified the combination of AA and type I thyroplasty because the two treatments could be performed in the same operating field and provided good voice improvement. Pulling the AA braid in the contractile direction of the LCA and endoscopic vocal cord observation during surgery may have contributed to the positive results.