Long-term laryngoscopic follow-up in vocal cord paralysis following struma surgery
Weitensfelder, W.; Lexer, G.; Aigner, H.; Fellinger, H.; Trattnig, J.; Grünbacher, G.
Der Chirurg; Zeitschrift für Alle Gebiete der Operativen Medizen 60(1): 29-32
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0009-4722 PMID: 2920618 Document Number: 341691
Of 525 patients 17 (3.2%) showed a laryngoscopically established palsy of the recurrent laryngeal nerve after surgery due to goiter. A laryngoscopic follow-up of all these patients, performed at least one year after the operation, revealed that 76.5% of the recurrent nerve palsies were temporary and 23.5% were permanent. Danger of permanent palsy increased in the sequence--uncomplicated nodular goiter--struma maligna--recurrent goiter. The outcome of long-term follow-up showed a palsy rate of 0.8%, which was much lower than the corresponding rate reported by short-term control (p = 0.005). Therefore laryngoscopic long-term follow-up in cases of postoperative abnormal laryngoscopic function should be a standard part of follow-up in thyroid gland surgery.