Ipsilateral nonrecurrent laryngeal nerve palsy and delayed palsy of the contralateral recurrent laryngeal nerve in a case of third-time reoperative thyroid surgery

The occurrence of nonrecurrent laryngeal nerve and delayed nerve palsy of the contralateral nerve occurring simultaneously has never been described. A 67-year-old woman underwent reoperative completion thyroidectomy for enlarging thyroid nodules with recurrent hyperthyroidism and obstructive symptoms. Preoperative computed tomography of the neck showed a large compressive goitre with an aberrant right subclavian artery. At surgery, a type 1 nonrecurrent laryngeal nerve was found and inadvertently transected due to dense adhesions. It was repaired with ansa cervicalis graft. A fully preserved and functional recurrent laryngeal nerve was seen on the contralateral side at the end of surgery. However, the patient developed a delayed palsy on day 4 of the recurrent laryngeal nerve requiring a tracheostomy. Following successful speech and swallowing therapy, the patient was decannulated with good phonation and recovery of the left cord. Patients are at risk of bilateral nerve injury and late onset palsy in reoperative thyroid surgery. Management can be challenging and should be recognised to ensure appropriate therapy.

Lateral approach to Thyroid: A Good Technique for Reoperative Thyroid Surgeryat

ABSTRACT Introduction Thyroidectomy is the commonest endocrine surgical procedure undertaken throughout the world. Redo thyroidectomies are challenging procedures with a higher morbidity rate. Lateral approach to thyroid (LATT) is a good alternative to the standard midline exploration. The key to the technique is the development of the natural tissue plane between the strap muscle and the ipsilateral sternocleidomastoid muscle to explore the thyroid bed. A study was carried out to assess the efficacy, safety, and complication of LATT. Materials and methods Data on patients undergoing LATT in professorial surgical unit, Ragama from 2008 to 2015, were collected prospectively and analyzed. All procedures were done by a single surgeon. Results A total of 36 LATTs were done. Data from 32 people were collected, as 4 patients lost follow-up; 29 (90.6%) were females and 3 (9.4%) were males. Their age ranges between 28 and 61 (median 43.37). Three (9.4%) LATTs for parathyroid explorations and out of it one (3.1%) for redo parathyroid explorations were done. Nine (28.1%) cases were redo thyroidectomies and 18 (56.2%) were done with mini incision with lateral approach. Hemithyroidectomies were performed on 28 (87.5%) patients. Bilateral explorations were done on three (9.4%) patients and four (12.5%) lateral approaches were done for completion thyroidectomies for follicular malignant lesions. Transient clinical hypocalcemia was noticed in four (12.5%) patients and one (3.1%) developed hoarseness of voice, which was temporary; and none of them had complications like hematoma and postsurgical stridor. Conclusion Lateral approach to thyroid is a safe alternative to the standard approach for reexplorative thyroid surgery. How to cite this article Dissanayake DDMC, Fernando RF, Dissanayake IJ. Lateral approach to Thyroid: A Good Technique for Reoperative Thyroid Surgery. World J Endoc Surg 2016;8(2):141-142.