Risk Factors for Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Neuropraxia Postthyroidectomy

2012 ◽  
Vol 146 (6) ◽  
pp. 900-905 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Sheahan ◽  
Ann O’Connor ◽  
Matthew S. Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve ◽  
Central Compartment ◽  
Laryngeal Nerve ◽  
Partial Recovery ◽  
Vocal Function ◽  
Full Resolution ◽  
Sharp Dissection ◽  
Academic Teaching Hospital ◽  
Operative Findings

Objective. Despite preservation of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN), transient vocal cord paralysis (VCP) occurs after 1.2% to 10.9% of thyroidectomies. The objective of this study was to study risk factors for transient VCP after thyroidectomy. Study Design. Prospective cohort study. Setting. Academic teaching hospital. Subjects and Methods. Two hundred fifteen consecutive thyroid surgeries performed by a single surgeon. All patients underwent preoperative and postoperative laryngoscopy. Patients with preexisting VCP or without postoperative laryngoscopy were excluded. Clinical and operative data were recorded prospectively at the time of thyroid surgery. The association between possible risk factors and occurrence of postoperative transient VCP was studied. Results. Six patients were excluded (2 with preexisting VCP and 4 without postoperative laryngoscopy). There was 1 intentional sacrifice of an RLN and 1 unintentional RLN transection. Of the remaining 322 RLNs at risk, 15 (4.7%) had postoperative VCP. Operative findings of cancer invading the RLN requiring sharp dissection to separate the nerve ( P = .006) and operative findings of RLN extensively draped along the thyroid or intimately associated with the thyroid parenchyma at Berry’s ligament ( P = .03) were significantly associated with VCP. Revision surgery ( P = .06) trended toward significance. Malignancy, central compartment neck dissection, extralaryngeal RLN branching, hyperthyroidism, and retrosternal extension were not significant. Of cases with follow-up laryngoscopic documentation of vocal function, 85% (11/13) showed full resolution of VCP, with 1 further case showing partial recovery. Conclusion. Invasive cancer and variants in the anatomic course of the RLN are risk factors for transient VCP after thyroidectomy.

scholarly journals Complications of Thyroid Surgery & Their Risk Factors: A Prospective Study at a Tertiary Care Center of Eastern Nepal

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-33
Author(s):  
Niranjan Panthi ◽  
S T Chettri ◽  
S P Shah ◽  
D Poudel ◽  
S Manandhar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Postoperative Complications ◽  
Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve ◽  
Neck Dissection ◽  
Thyroid Surgery ◽  
Nerve Palsy ◽  
Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Palsy ◽  
Central Compartment ◽  
Laryngeal Nerve ◽  
Laryngeal Nerve Palsy

Background: Thyroid surgery is one of the commonest surgeries performed by otolaryngologists. Currently, the main postoperative complications are hypocalcemia and recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy. Extent of surgery, lack of identification of RLN/ parathyroid glands, malignancy, central compartment neck dissection, lateral neck dissection, previous surgery and size of goiter are the risk factors for complications. The objectives of this study were to determine the frequency of postoperative complications after thyroid surgery and to analyze the risk factors of complications. Methods: It was a prospective study of 45 patients undergoing thyroid surgery in eastern Nepal from March 2014 to September 2015. The postoperative complications and the risk factors associated with these complications were evaluated. Results: There were total of 45 cases of thyroid surgery, with the mean age of 39.04 years. The main postoperative complications were: hypocalcaemia (6 or 13.33% cases) and vocal cord palsy due to recurrent laryngeal nerve injury (5 or 11.11% cases). Temporary hypocalcaemia was observed in 3(6.67%) cases while permanent hypocalcaemia developed in other 3 (6.67%) cases. Similarly, the temporary and permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy occurred in 3 (6.67%) cases and 2 (4.44%)cases respectively. The risk factors associated with hypocalcaemia were: malignancy, repeat operation, central compartment neck dissection and non-identification of parathyroid glands during surgery. Similarly, recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy was observed in cases of malignancy and central compartment neck dissection. Conclusion: The major postoperative complications of thyroid surgery were hypocalcaemia and recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. Malignancy and central compartment neck dissection had effect on incidence of complications. Sound knowledge of anatomy and meticulous surgical technique are needed to reduce the incidence of complications.

Outcome of Thyroid Surgeries at Patan Hospital

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-14
Author(s):  
Deepak Yadav ◽  
Bhawana Dangol ◽  
Anita GC ◽  
Namita Shrestha ◽  
Ishwor Raj Devkota ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve ◽  
Total Thyroidectomy ◽  
Neck Dissection ◽  
Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Palsy ◽  
Central Compartment ◽  
Neck Surgery ◽  
Laryngeal Nerve ◽  
Completion Thyroidectomy ◽  
Lateral Neck ◽  
Lateral Neck Dissection

Objective: To assess the outcome of thyroid surgeries at Patan HospitalMaterials and Methods: It is a retrospective study of in-patient records of patients undergoing thyroid surgeries for various indications from April 2013 to January 2015 at Patan Hospital, Lalitpur.Results: During the period of 21 months, 75 patients underwent thyroid surgeries. Majority of patients underwent hemithyroidectomy (35) followed by total thyroidectomy (28), subtotal thyroidectomy (7) and completion thyroidectomy (5). Out of 28 patients undergoing total thyroidectomy (TT), 11 underwent central compartment clearance (CCC), 5 underwent CCC and lateral neck dissection. Among 5 patients undergoing completion thyroidectomy, CCC was performed in all cases and in one patient lateral neck dissection was also performed.  A total of 13 patients developed unilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (RLN), among them 5 had permanent palsy. Tracheostomy had to be done in immediate postoperative period for stridor following total thyroidectomy (TT) in one case. Temporary hypocalcaemia was observed in 10 (10/28) cases following TT, out of which 8 had undergone CCC. Permanent hypocalcaemia was observed in 7 (7/28) cases following TT out of which 3 had undergone CCC. Chylous leak occurred in one of the patient undergoing left level II-IV neck dissection which was managed conservatively. None of the patient had to be transfused postoperatively.Conclusion: Complications to thyroid surgery are not uncommon. Visualization of recurrent laryngeal nerve alone in our context is adequate in experienced hands. Identification of parathyroid during thyroidectomy is recommended to avoid hypocalcaemia. Meticulous dissection can reduce the complications.Nepalese Journal of ENT Head and Neck Surgery, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2015

scholarly journals Optimal Management of the Unilateral Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Involvement in Patients with Thyroid Cancer

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 2129
Author(s):  
Satoru Miyamaru ◽  
Daizo Murakami ◽  
Kohei Nishimoto ◽  
Narihiro Kodama ◽  
Joji Tashiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Cancer ◽  
Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve ◽  
Tumor Resection ◽  
Vocal Folds ◽  
Laryngeal Nerve ◽  
Type I ◽  
Optimal Management ◽  
Reconstruction Procedure ◽  
Vocal Function ◽  
Reconstruction Group

We aimed to determine the optimal management of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) involvement in thyroid cancer. We enrolled 80 patients with unilateral RLN involvement in thyroid cancer between 2000 and 2016. Eleven patients with preoperatively functional vocal folds (VFs) underwent sharp tumor resection to preserve the RLN (shaving group). Thirty-three patients underwent RLN reconstruction with RLN resection (reconstruction group). We divided the reconstruction group into two subgroups based on preoperative VF mobility (normal-reconstruction and paralyzed-reconstruction subgroups). In the cases where RLN reconstruction was difficult, phonosurgeries including arytenoid adduction (AA), with or without thyroplasty type I, or nerve muscle pedicle implantation with AA were performed later (phonosurgery group). We evaluated and compared vocal function among the evaluated periods and different groups. Postoperative vocal function in the shaving and normal-reconstruction subgroups was favorable. There were no significant differences between the two groups. In the paralyzed-reconstruction and phonosurgery groups, postoperative vocal function was significantly improved, and vocal function in the paralyzed-reconstruction subgroup was significantly better than that in the phonosurgery group. For optimal management of unilateral RLN involvement in thyroid cancer, first, sharp dissection should be performed, and if this is impossible, a simultaneous RLN reconstruction procedure should be adopted whenever possible.

scholarly journals The impact of the recurrent laryngeal nerve injury on prognosis after McKeown esophagectomy for ESCC

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rirong Qu ◽  
Dehao Tu ◽  
Wei Ping ◽  
Qi Wang ◽  
Ni Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve ◽  
Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injury ◽  
Laryngeal Nerve ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Laryngeal Nerve Injury ◽  
Independent Risk Factors ◽  
Mckeown Esophagectomy ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: The objective of this study was to assess the impact of the recurrent laryngeal nerve injury (RLNI) after esophagectomy on prognosis.Methods: Retrospectively collected data from 297 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent McKeown esophagectomy at our department from April 2014 to May 2018, were analyzed.Results: RLNI occurred in 31.9% of the patients. Left-side RLNI occurred 2.8 times more often than right-side RLNI. Among the cases in which assessment of the vocal cords was continued, 8.4% involved permanent injury. There were no significant differences among clinicopathological data between patients with RLNI and without. Compared with patients without RLNI,patients with RNLI have longer operation time,more number of bronchoscopy suctions, longer postoperation hospital stay, and higher incidence of postoperative complications. T stage, N stage, RLN LN metastasis were independent risk factors for the prognosis, but RLNI is not independent risk factors for long-term survival. Conclusion: RLNI is a serious complication that will affect the short-term prognosis of patients and reduce the quality of life of patients. It should be avoided as much as possible during surgery, but it may not have negative impact on the long-term survival.

scholarly journals Extra-laryngeal branching of recurrent laryngeal nerve: a possibility thyroid surgeons need to keep in mind to prevent inadvertent nerve injury

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. e231305
Author(s):  
Gokul Gopi ◽  
Saurav Sarkar ◽  
Anindya Nayak
Keyword(s):  
Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve ◽  
Nerve Injury ◽  
Preoperative Assessment ◽  
Central Compartment ◽  
Needle Aspiration ◽  
Laryngeal Nerve ◽  
Aspiration Cytology ◽  
Left Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve ◽  
Needle Aspiration Cytology

A 45-year-old woman presented with a neck swelling since the past 6 years. The swelling was painless but slowly and progressively increasing in size. On examination, a thyroid swelling of size approximately 6×4 cm was seen on the left side. Ultrasonography revealed the size to be 6×5 cm with microcalcifications. Fine needle aspiration cytology revealed the mass to be papillary carcinoma. She was planned for total thyroidectomy with central compartment clearance. Preoperative assessment including thyroid hormone profile was normal and the patient was taken for surgery after proper anaesthesia clearance. During the surgery, it was found that there was a branching of the left recurrent laryngeal nerve. The branching was confirmed with nerve monitor and careful dissection was done to prevent injuries. The surgery was completed successfully without any nerve damage and the postoperative period was uneventful. Follow-up assessments revealed no signs of nerve injury like hoarseness of voice. Possibility of abnormal branches and duplication of nerves though uncommon should not be underestimated and extra vigilance and caution must be exercised when operating near a nerve, even by an experienced surgeon familiar with the local anatomy. Any doubts arising during the surgery must be clarified immediately, and nerve monitors should be used to check suspected branching and duplications before proceeding further.

Pre-operative prediction of a right non-recurrent laryngeal nerve by computed tomography

2013 ◽  
Vol 127 (5) ◽  
pp. 525-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
B T Varghese ◽  
K P Desai ◽  
A Ramachandran
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve ◽  
Subclavian Artery ◽  
World Literature ◽  
Surgical Navigation ◽  
Central Compartment ◽  
Distal Portion ◽  
Laryngeal Nerve ◽  
Barium Swallow ◽  
The Right

AbstractObjective:This paper reports a case of a non-recurrent laryngeal nerve which was accurately predicted pre-operatively using computed tomography.Case report:A 61-year-old man presented with papillary thyroid carcinoma with lymph node metastasis. Computed tomography scans of the neck and chest revealed an ill-defined, hypoattenuating nodule in the right lobe of the thyroid gland, with few upper paratracheal and prevascular nodes, and clear lung fields. The retro-oesophageal course of the right subclavian artery, which was arising from the distal portion of the arch of aorta, was also incidentally revealed in the computed tomography scan. A barium swallow further confirmed the presence of a retro-oesophageal subclavian artery. Total thyroidectomy was performed, with right neck dissection and central compartment clearance. This was carried out with the presence of a non-recurrent laryngeal nerve in mind, and the nerve was accurately localised and preserved.Conclusion:To our knowledge this is the first report in the world literature of accurate pre-operative incidental imaging of the right non-recurrent laryngeal nerve in a case of metastatic thyroid cancer, and the subsequent use of computed tomography to guide surgical navigation.

366 CLINICAL NOMOGRAM MODEL FOR RECURRENT LARYNGEAL NERVE LYMPH NODE METASTASIS IN ESOPHAGEAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA: A RETROSPECTIVE MULTICENTER STUDY

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
D Tian ◽  
X He ◽  
Y Yang ◽  
L Chen
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Lymph Node ◽  
Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve ◽  
Tumor Size ◽  
Tumor Location ◽  
Laryngeal Nerve ◽  
Tumor Differentiation ◽  
Node Metastasis ◽  
T Stage ◽  
Positive Groups

Abstract   Recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph node metastasis (RLN LNM) is not rare in patients with esophageal cancer. We aimed to explore the risk factors for RLN LNM and to develop a nomogram predicting the likelihood of RLN LNM in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients with ESCC who underwent esophagectomy as well as recurrent laryngeal nerve lymph node dissection between May 2015 and February 2019 at two different institutions. The patients were divided into negative and positive groups according to the presence of RLN LNM. Risk factors for RLN LNM were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses. A nomogram was constructed for presentation of the final model. Results A total of 390 patients with ESCC were included in this study. The differences in tumor location, tumor differentiation, T stage, tumor size and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) between the negative (N = 270) and positive groups (N = 120) RLN LNM were significant (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis indicated that the tumor location (OR = 0.520, 95% CI: 0.361–0.749, P < 0.001), tumor differentiation (OR = 2.279, 95% CI: 1.586–3.276, P < 0.001), T stage (OR = 1.436, 95% CI: 1.029–2.003, P = 0.033), tumor size (OR = 1.781, 95% CI: 1.021–3.106, P = 0.042) and CEA (OR = 1.206, 95% CI: 1.003–1.450, P = 0.046) were independent risk factors for RLN LNM. A nomogram with these variables had good predictive accuracy (c-index: 0.716). Conclusion Tumor location, tumor differentiation, T stage, tumor size and CEA may predict the risk of RLN LNM. We created a nomogram predicting the likelihood of RLN LNM in patients with ESCC.

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