Navi Mumbai: In a rare feat, a leading laryngologist at Medicover Hospitals in Navi Mumbai, successfully treated a 48-year-old woman with Spasmodic dysphonia, a neurological vocal disorder causing involuntary spasms in the larynx muscles and impaired speech. A team led by Dr Farha Naaz Kazi were successful in regaining her original voice after two years.
The patient started noticing changes in her voice 2 years ago, she started facing difficulty in voicing clearly with voice strain in completing a sentence. She consulted multiple doctors who couldn’t solve her problem. Ultimately, her voice quality worsened over time. Around two months ago, she approached Medicover Hospital for treatment.
"A stroboscopy study performed revealed Spasmodic dysphonia which is a neurological vocal disorder that causes involuntary spasms in the muscles of the larynx, leading to impaired speech and vocal quality. For many years, patients with this condition have struggled to find effective treatment options,” said Dr Kazi.
A recent advancement in the form of laryngeal EMG-guided Botox treatment has been providing significant relief for patients suffering from spasmodic dysphonia. Botox injections have long been used for the treatment of muscular spasms and wrinkles. However, the effectiveness of this treatment has been noted in the field of laryngology.
“By targeting these specific muscles with Botox injections, the treatment can be much more effective in improving vocal symptoms and reducing spasms. This innovative approach allows us to directly target the muscles causing the vocal spasms, leading to improved vocal quality and speech for patients with spasmodic dysphonia. It offers a more accurate and personalized treatment option compared to traditional methods. She had been given one injection but she will require dosing every 6 months. During follow-up after 10 days, she was pleased to talk in her normal voice after so long,” added Dr Kazi.
Published 19 January 2024, 05:27 IST