Lee DH, Lee SY, Lee M, et al. - In this retrospective case series involving 1,264 patients, researchers sought to assess the natural course of unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP), concentrating on the recovery time according to the injury level to evaluate the optimal timing for permanent surgical intervention. Study participants included UVFP patients who attended the voice clinic of Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea, from November 1, 2005, through December 31, 2016. Among the individuals who exhibited recovery of the vocal fold movement, most patients with injuries distal to or at the level of the thyroid recovered within 6 months, on the other hand, those with injury more distant from the vocal fold recovered within nearly 1 year. A linear connection was noted between injury level and maximum recovery time. The results indicate that the decision to continue with permanent phonosurgical treatment should be based on the level of UVFP-related injury.