Objective To explore the relationship between external branch of superior laryngeal nerve (EBSLN) injury and the approachs of surgery in open thyroidectomy, and to summarize the preventive methods. Methods The clinical data of 985 patients who had consecutively underwent open thyroidectomy from January 2009 to June 2012 were retrospectively analyzed, to explore the relationship between EBSLN injury and the approachs of surgery in open thyroidectomy. Results The overall incidence of EBSLN injury was 2.6% (26/985), and 959 patients (97.4%) didn’t suffered from EBSLN injury. Results of logistic regression showed that the extent of surgery (OR=4.536, P=0.004) and identification of the EBSLN (OR=0.126, P=0.044) were influence factors of EBSLN injury after open thyroidectomy, but age (OR=1.108, P=0.823), gender (OR=0.604, P=0.260), benign or malignant tumor (OR=1.871, P=0.186), anesthesia methods (OR=0.659, P=0.372), and the application of ultrasonic scalpel (OR=0.473, P=0.248) were not associated with EBSLN injury. Conclusion In open thyroidectomy, the extent of surgery and identification of EBSLN are the independent factors of EBSLN injury, which are important to avoid EBSLN injury.
Objective To assess clinical value of thyroidectomy by meticulous capsular dissection technique through neck incision approach in treatment of 75 patients with type Ⅰ substernal goiter. Methods The clinical data of 75 patients with type Ⅰ substernal goiter in the Department of General Surgery of the Central Hospital of Xiaogan from April 2013 to April 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. These patients received the surgical resection by the meticulous capsular dissection technique with an ultrasonic scalpel and a bipolar coagulation forcep through neck incision approach. Results There were 12 Hashimoto thyroiditis, 10 thyroid adenoma, 41 nodular goiter, and 12 thyroid carcinoma in the 75 patients with type Ⅰ substernal goiter. Five cases underwent the unilateral total thyroidectomy. Fifty-eight cases underwent the bilateral total thyroidectomy. The bilateral total thyroidectomy plus central lymph node dissection were performed in the 9 patients with thyroid carcinoma, the bilateral total thyroidectomy plus central lymph node dissection plus affected ipsilateral neck lymph node dissection were performed in the 3 patients with thyroid carcinoma. The average operative time was 100 min, the average intraoperative blood loss was 50 mL, the average postoperative hospital stay was 5 d. The rate of parathyroid injury was 2.7% (2/75), the rate of hypocalcemia caused by parathyroid injury was 2.7% (2/75). There were 3 cases (4.0%) of unilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, 1 case (1.3%) of the outer branch of the upper laryngeal nerve injury. There were 2 cases of tracheal partial softening in the 75 patients. None of postoperative bleeding and seroma happened. No death and the tumor recurrence and metastasis of patients happened during follow-up period. Conclusions Preliminary results in this study show that operation of meticulous capsular dissection technique with an ultrasonic scalpel and a bipolar coagulation forcep through neck incision approach in treatment of type Ⅰ substernal goiter is safe and feasible, it could effectively reduce postoperative complications of thyroidectomy, and protect parathyroid and it’s function, recurrent laryngeal nerve, and superior laryngeal nerve.
Objective To explore the protection of the structure and function around the upper pole of the thyroid gland by endoscopic thyroidectomy combined with nerve detection through the gasless unilateral axillary approach. Methods From January 2019 to June 2020, 48 thyroid patients who underwent the gasless unilateral axillary approach combined with the endoscopy and nerve detection technology in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery of Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital were reviewed as the endoscopic group, and 53 thyroid patients underwent open surgery combined with the endoscopy and nerve detection technology as the open group. The protection of the functional structure of the suprathyroid pole were compared. Results In terms of operation time, the endoscopic group was longer than that of the open group (67.5 min vs. 54.1 min, P=0.001). There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of postoperative hospital stay and blood loss (P>0.05). Forty-seven patients with the endoscopic thyroid surgery through the gasless unilateral axillary approach effectively detected the superior laryngeal nerve (47/48, 97.9%), which was higher than that of the open group (40/53, 75.5%), P=0.003, and the exposure rate of hypoglossal nerve descending branch in the endoscopic group was also higher [31.3% (15/48) vs. 3.8% (2/53), P=0.001]. In the endoscopic group, the superior parathyroid gland was kept in situ during the operation, and there was no change of voice and cough after the operation. In the open group, there were 2 cases of autologous transplantation of the upper pole parathyroid gland, 2 patients had voice changes, and 1 case had partial upper pole banded muscle incision. There was no significant difference in the incidence of nerve injury complications, the rate of autologous transplantation of the upper pole parathyroid gland and the rate of anterior cervical banded muscle injury between the two groups (P>0.05). In addition, there was no significant difference in the levels of parathyroid hormone, blood calcium, blood magnesium and blood phosphorus between the two groups before/after operation (P>0.05). Conclusion During the endoscopic thyroidectomy through the gasless unilateral axillary approach, the nerve monitoring technology is combined with the exploration and protection of the superior laryngeal nerve on the surface of the medial cricothyroid muscle of the upper pole of the thyroid, and the fine capsule anatomy technology is used to protect the superior parathyroid gland in situ, which can more effectively expose the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve. It is conducive to the protection of the structures around the upper pole.
ObjectiveTo investigate the feasibility of dissecting the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve using endoscopic thyroidectomy via gasless unilateral subclavian approach combined with intraoperative nerve monitoring. MethodsThe clinical data of 30 patients who underwent the gasless trans-subclavian approach endoscopic thyroidectomy in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine from October 2023 to February 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. ResultsAll operations were successfully completed under endoscopy approach without transfer to open surgery. A total of 29 cases of the external branch of superior laryngeal nerves were revealed in 30 cases, the rate of external branch of superior laryngeal nerve was 96.7%. The time for dissecting the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve was 2－6 min (3.6±2.3) min. There was no obvious sound change related to the injury of the external branch of superior laryngeal nerve in postoperative patients. ConclusionFor the modified endoscopic thyroidectomy via gasless unilateral subclavian approach combined with intraoperative nerve monitoring, excellent anatomical protection of the superior laryngeal nerve branches can be obtained.