Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40323143›Full record

Trial reportThe Laryngoscope2025

Laryngeal Reinnervation vs Type I Thyroplasty in Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis (VOCALIST): A Randomized Feasibility Study.

Martin Birchall, Eleftheria Iliadou, Helen Blackshaw, Marcus Jepson, Paul Carding, Samantha Husbands, Kate Heathcote, Marina Mat Baki, Yakubu Karagama, Gareth Ambler

Abstract readClinical Trial, Phase IIIComparative StudyMulticenter Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in The Laryngoscope, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. An easy-to-use laryngostroboscopy index for unilateral vocal fold paralysis reflects voice quality.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Martin BirchallEar Institute, University College London, London, UK.
Eleftheria IliadouEar Institute, University College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2586-7551
Helen BlackshawEar Institute, University College London, London, UK.
Marcus JepsonBristol Medical School, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Paul CardingOxford Institute of Applied Health Research, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK.
Samantha HusbandsUCL Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Kate HeathcoteDepartment of Otolaryngology, Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Dorset, UK.
Marina Mat BakiFaculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia.ORCID 0000-0002-9282-874X
Yakubu KaragamaGuy's and St Thomas' Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK.
Gareth AmblerStatistical Science, University College London, London, UK.

Funding

National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration East of England PB-PG-1013-32058
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesWe wished to determine the feasibility of performing a multi-centre phase III randomized controlled trial that compares laryngeal reinnervation to type I thyroplasty for adults with unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) in the UK.

methodsA feasibility study was designed; 27 participants were recruited at three UK sites. Trial procedures mirrored those intended for a full-scale trial. We assessed recruitment rates, acceptability of randomization, and dropout rates and conducted a qualitative study to understand the recruitment processes. Participants were followed up for up to 12 months to assess optimal outcome measures for the definitive trial covering voice, swallowing, and overall quality of life. A qualitative study was run in parallel with the quantitative clinical trial.

resultsRecruitment was successful with 23 patients with UVFP randomized to reinnervation (n = 12) and thyroplasty (n = 11). 96% (n = 22) of participants accepted the treatment to which they were allocated, of which 17 received their intervention before the study end date. The qualitative study identified minor recruitment challenges that could be addressed through in-trial training. The set of subjective and objective voice, swallowing, and quality of life outcome measures used demonstrated a responsiveness to change following interventions.

conclusionThe results from this study have provided us with the assurance that conducting an adequately powered randomized controlled clinical trial of laryngeal reinnervation versus type I thyroplasty for adults with UVFP in the UK is feasible in terms of conduct, recruitment, outcome measurement, and completion. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2:

trial registrationISRCTN90201732.

Indexed as

LaryngoplastyVocal Cord ParalysisAdultAgedFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQuality of LifeTreatment Outcomedysphoniareinnervationthyroplastyvoice

Identifiers

PMID40323143
PMCPMC12371777

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.