Recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy during anterior cervical spine surgery: a prospective study

2005 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Axel Jung ◽  
Johannes Schramm ◽  
Kai Lehnerdt ◽  
Claus Herberhold

Object. Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy is a well-known complication of cervical spine surgery. Nearly all previous studies were performed without laryngoscopy in asymptomatic patients. This prospective study was undertaken to discern the true incidence of RLN palsy. Because not every RLN palsy is associated with hoarseness, the authors conducted a prospective study involving the use of pre- and postoperative laryngoscopy. Methods. Prior to anterior cervical spine surgery preoperative indirect laryngoscopy was performed in 123 patients to evaluate the status of the vocal cords as a sign of function of the RLN. To assess postoperative status in 120 patients laryngoscopy was repeated, and in cases of vocal cord malfunction follow-up examination was conducted 3 months later. In the group of 120 patients who attended follow-up examination, two (1.6%) had experienced a preoperative RLN palsy without hoarseness. Postoperatively the rate of clinically symptomatic RLN palsy was 8.3%, and the incidence of RLN palsy not associated with hoarseness (that is, clinically unapparent without laryngoscopy) was 15.9% (overall incidence 24.2%). At 3-month follow-up evaluation the rate had decreased to 2.5% in cases with hoarseness and 10.8% without hoarseness. Thus, the overall rate of early persisting RLN palsy was 11.3%. Conclusions. Laryngoscopy revealed that the true incidence of initial and persisting RLN palsy after anterior cervical spine surgery was much higher than anticipated. Especially in cases without hoarseness this could be proven, but the initial incidence of hoarseness was higher than expected. Only one third of new RLN palsy cases could be detected without laryngoscopy. Resolution of hoarseness was approximately 70% in those with preoperative hoarseness. The true rate of RLN palsy underscores the necessity to reevaluate the surgery- and intubation-related techniques for anterior cervical spine surgery and to reassess the degree of presurgical patient counseling.

2002 ◽  
Vol 97 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jebadurai Ratnaraj ◽  
Alexandre Todorov ◽  
Tom McHugh ◽  
Mary Ann Cheng ◽  
Carl Lauryssen

Object. The authors' goal was to determine whether the incidence of postoperative sore throat, hoarseness, and dysphagia associated with anterior spine surgery is reduced by maintaining endotracheal tube cuff pressure (ETCP) at 20 mm Hg during the period of neck retraction. Methods. Fifty-one patients scheduled for anterior cervical spine surgery were enrolled. After intubation, ETCP was adjusted to 20 mm Hg in all patients. Following placement of neck retractors, ETCP was measured. Patients were randomized to a control (no adjustment) or treatment group (ETCP adjusted to 20 mm Hg). A blinded observer questioned the patients about the presence of sore throat, dysphagia, and hoarseness at 1 hour, 24 hours, and 1 week postoperatively. No differences between groups at 1 hour postoperatively were demonstrated. At 24 hours, 51% of patients in the treatment group complained of sore throat compared with 74% of control patients (p < 0.05). Sixty-five percent of the women experienced sore throat compared with 35% of the men (p < 0.05). At 24 hours, longer retraction time correlated with development of dysphagia (p < 0.05, r2 = 0.61). At 24 hours, hoarseness was present in 65% of women and 20% of men (p < 0.05). Conclusions. The results of this study suggest the following three predictors of postoperative throat discomfort following anterior cervical spine surgery in which neck retraction is performed: increased ETCP during neck retraction (sore throat), neck retraction time (dysphagia), and female sex (sore throat and hoarseness). The simple maneuver of decreasing ETCP to 20 mm Hg may be helpful in improving patient comfort following anterior cervical spine surgery.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. e0173364 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia-Ming Liu ◽  
Wei-Lai Tong ◽  
Xuan-Yin Chen ◽  
Yang Zhou ◽  
Wen-Zhao Chen ◽  
...  

1999 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. 170-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Scott Jellish ◽  
Randy L. Jensen ◽  
Douglas E. Anderson ◽  
John F. Shea

Object. Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury occurs after anterior cervical spine procedures. In this study the authors used intraoperative electromyographic (EMG) monitoring of the posterior pharynx as a surrogate for RLN function and monitored endotracheal tube (ET) cuff pressure to determine if there was an association between these variables and clinical outcome. Methods. Sixty patients in whom anterior cervical spine procedures were to be performed comprised the study population. After intubation, the ET cuff was adjusted to a just-seal volume and attached to a pressure monitor. A laryngeal surface electrode was placed in the posterior pharynx, and spontaneous EMG activity was monitored throughout the procedure. Cuff pressures and EMG activity were recorded during neck retraction and when EMG activity increased 20% above baseline. Patients were divided into two groups: those with sore throat/dysphonia and those without symptoms. Cuff pressures and EMG values were compared between groups, and the differences were correlated with clinical outcome. Conclusions. Hoarseness immediately after surgery was reported in 38% of patients whereas 15% exhibited severe symptoms. In symptomatic patients the period of intubation had been longer, and the ET cuff pressures had been elevated. In most patients EMG activity increased during insertion of the retractor and decreased after its removal. In these patients a greater number of episodes of elevated EMG activity during surgery were also noted. Two patients experienced prolonged hoarseness, and one required teflon injections of the vocal fold. This patient's EMG activity increased (15–18 times baseline) during surgery. In the few patients who were symptomatic with increased EMG activity, neither the timing nor direction of change could be associated with symptoms. Intubation time and elevated ET cuff pressure were the most important contributors to dysphonia and sore throat after anterior cervical spine surgery.


1987 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 297-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Rees Cosgrove ◽  
Jacques Théron

✓ Fistulous communication between the vertebral artery and its surrounding venous plexus is rare. Two cases of vertebral arteriovenous fistula following anterior cervical spine surgery are reported. The anatomic relationships of the vertebral vessels, the radiographic findings, and the various therapeutic approaches to these lesions are discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (15) ◽  
pp. 3375
Author(s):  
Atsushi Kimura ◽  
Katsushi Takeshita ◽  
Toshitaka Yoshii ◽  
Satoru Egawa ◽  
Takashi Hirai ◽  
...  

Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) is commonly associated with diabetes mellitus (DM); however, the impact of DM on cervical spine surgery for OPLL remains unclear. This study was performed to evaluate the influence of diabetes DM on the outcomes following cervical spine surgery for OPLL. In total, 478 patients with cervical OPLL who underwent surgical treatment were prospectively recruited from April 2015 to July 2017. Functional measurements were conducted at baseline and at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after surgery using JOA and JOACMEQ scores. The incidence of postoperative complications was categorized into early (≤30 days) and late (>30 days), depending on the time from surgery. From the initial group of 478 patients, 402 completed the 2-year follow-up and were included in the analysis. Of the 402 patients, 127 (32%) had DM as a comorbid disease. The overall incidence of postoperative complications was significantly higher in patients with DM than in patients without DM in both the early and late postoperative periods. The patients with DM had a significantly lower JOA score and JOACMEQ scores in the domains of lower extremity function and quality of life than those without DM at the 2-year follow-up.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. S193
Author(s):  
Aron Sulovari ◽  
Adan Omar ◽  
Emmanuel N. Menga ◽  
Paul T. Rubery ◽  
James Sanders ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 414-416
Author(s):  
V. Poissonnet ◽  
V. Lubrano ◽  
A. Sadeler ◽  
E. Chabrillac

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