OBJECTIVE In order to investigate the opportunity of repair and prognosis of recurrent laryngeal nerve injuries after thyroidectomy. METHODS Twelve cases with recurrent laryngeal nerve injuries after thyroidectomy were immediately and delayed operated on nerve repair and reinnervation. In immediate operation, 5 cases were repaired by direct recurrent laryngeal nerve suture, and 1 case was treated by transposition of the phrenic nerve to the recurrent laryngeal nerve and sutured the adductor branch to the branch of ansa cervicalis. In delayed operation, 3 cases were treated by anastomosis the main trunk of ansa cervicalis to the adductor branch of recurrent laryngeal nerve, and 3 cases were operated on neuromuscular pedicle to reinnervate posterior cricoarytenoid muscle. RESULTS Followed up 6 months, the effect was excellent in 1 case who was immediately operated by selective reinnervation of the abductor and adductor muscles of the larynx, better in 9 cases, and poor in 2 cases who were delayed operated over 12 months. CONCLUSION It can be concluded that the earlier reinnervation is performed, the better prognosis is.
ObjectiveTo explore the safety-related factors for total thyroidectomy in differentiated thyroid carcinoma. MethodsThe clinical data of 72 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma treated by total thyroidectomy from January 2002 to January 2010 were retrospectively analyzed, the laryngeal recurrent nerve injury and hypoparathyroidism were observed. ResultsThe incidences of hypoparathyroidism and laryngeal recurrent nerve injury were 15.28% （11/72) and 4.17%（3/72）, respectively. The hypoparathyroidism was significantly related to the thyroid reoperation, the lymph nodes metastases of central compartment, or the extraglandular invasion of the primary tumor (Plt;0.05), but not to the dissection of neck lymph nodes (Pgt;0.05). The laryngeal recurrent nerve injury was not relative to those factors (Pgt;0.05). ConclusionThe safetyrelated factors of total thyroidectomy in differentiated thyroid carcinoma include thyroid reoperation, the lymph node metastasis of central compartment, and the extraglandular invasion of the primary tumor.
Objective To investigate the causes and treatment of recurrent laryngeal nerve （RLN） injury during the operation of thyroidectomy. Methods Clinical data of 48 patients that RLN were injured during thyroidectomy in and out of our hospital from Jun. 2003 to Mar. 2007 were reviewed. Results No patient died while operation and staying in hospital. There were 47 cases of unilateral RLN injury, 1 case of bilateral RLN injury; 21 cases （43.7%） were injured because of suture or scar adhesion, 13 cases （27.1%） were partly broken with formed scar, 14 cases （29.2%） were completely cut off; The locations of RLN injuries were closely adjacent to the crossing of the inferior thyroid artery and RLN in 13 cases （27.1%） and 35 cases （72.9%） were within 2 cm below the point of RLN entering into throat. The injured RLN were repaired surgically in 43 cases, among which 39 cases’ phonation and vocal cord movement were restored completely or had their vocal cord movement recovered partly; There were only 4 cases that the phonation and vocal cord movement were not recovered. Another 5 cases that did not take any repair did not recovered naturally. Conclusion The location of most RLN injuries caused by mechanical injury during thyroid surgery is closely adjacent to the entrance of RLN into throat. Early nerve exploratory operation should be performed once the RLN is injured, and the method of repair should be decided according to concrete conditions of injury．
目的 探讨甲状腺手术方式和喉返神经损伤（RLN）的关系。 方法 回顾性分析2009年1月至2012年6月期间于笔者所在医院科室接受开放性甲状腺手术的985例患者的临床资料，探讨甲状腺手术方式和RLN损伤的关系。 结果 本组患者术后发生RLN损伤26例（2.6%），未发生RLN损伤959例（97.4%）。logistic回归分析结果显示，年龄、性别、超声刀应用、麻醉方式及肿块良恶性与RLN损伤均无关（P＞0.05），而手术范围（OR=3.726，P=0.007）和显露RLN（OR=0.302，P=0.006）则是RLN损伤的影响因素，行扩大性手术及未显露RLN者的RLN损伤率较高。 结论 在开放性甲状腺手术中，手术范围以及显露RLN是RLN损伤的独立影响因素，术中显露并注意保护RLN，对避免RLN损伤具有重要意义。
ObjectiveTo research the relevancy between the amplitudes of EMG signal of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) during thyroidectemy with the movement of vocal cords after operation by applying the intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) and verify the proper warning criterion. MethodsFrom April 2013 to October 2013, 130 patients (214 nerves at risk) underwent complex thyroidectomy with the application of IONM. According to the degree of amplitude changing on different sites of RLN (proximal site and distal site) before closing incision, all the patients were divided into 10 groups. Every patient's vocal cords movement after operation by laryngoscopy and simulated the neural function in real time were compared. ResultsSeven patients got abnormal movement of vocal cords, the corresponding amplitudes of the EMG signal of RLN were in the range between 0 to 50%, 1 case from Group 6 (40%≤Rp/Rd<50%), 1 case from Group 8 (20%≤Rp/Rd<30%), 1 case from Group 9 (10%≤Rp/Rd<20%), 4 cases from Group 10 (0≤Rp/Rd<10%), and there's no permanent RLN palsy. ConclusionThe final amplitude of RLN decrease below 50%R1 would probably lead to vocal cords' abnormal movement, and when it decrease below 30%R1, the possibility of abnormal movement would increase; 50% decrease of EMG amplitude can be used as a warning criterion to prevent nerve function damage.