IMPORTANCE: Medialization laryngoplasty (ML) remains the gold standard for the long-term treatment of hoarseness related to glottal insufficiency. Odynophonia is a less common manifestation of glottal insufficiency related to vocal fold motion impairment (VFMI), and ML is hypothesized to relieve pain associated with this condition. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether patients with VFMI and a chief complaint of odynophonia may achieve pain relief with ML, regardless of the degree of vocal impairment. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We conducted a retrospective review of medical records for 8 patients with VFMI and a chief complaint of odynophonia who were treated at 2 tertiary care laryngology centers over a 2-year period. INTERVENTIONS: All patients underwent ML. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Patient-reported relief of pain, preoperative and postoperative Voice Handicap Index 10 (VHI-10) scores, and Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V) scores were obtained. RESULTS: All eight patients (5 women and 3 men; mean age, 42 years) had durable relief of their discomfort postoperatively (average follow-up, 14 months). Mean VHI-10 scores improved significantly from 17.9 preoperatively to 6.3 postoperatively (P = .001), while perceptual voice parameters as measured by CAPE-V were unchanged. There were no complications. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In select cases of VFMI, ML can relieve pain related to voice use, even in the absence of significant hoarseness.
