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Prognostic Indicators of Non-Transection Nerve Injury and Vocal Fold Motion Impairment After Thyroid Surgery - Correlation Between Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Findings and Perioperative Voice Parameters.

ABSTRACT: Objectives:In patients with recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury after thyroid surgery, unrecovered vocal fold motion (VFM) and subjective voice impairment cause extreme distress. For surgeons, treating these poor outcomes is extremely challenging. To enable early treatment of VFM impairment, this study evaluated prognostic indicators of non-transection RLN injury and VFM impairment after thyroid surgery and evaluated correlations between intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) findings and perioperative voice parameters. Methods:82 adult patients had postoperative VFM impairment after thyroidectomy were enrolled. Demographic characteristics, RLN electromyography (EMG), and RLN injury mechanism were compared. Multi-dimensional voice program, voice range profile and Index of voice and swallowing handicap of thyroidectomy (IVST) were administered during I-preoperative; II-immediate, III-short-term and IV-long-term postoperative periods. The patients were divided into R/U Group according to the VFM was recovered/unrecovered 3 months after surgery. The patients in U Group were divided into U1/U2 Group according to total IVST score change was <4 and ≥4 during period-IV. Results:Compared to R Group (42 patients), U Group (38 patients) had significantly more patients with EMG >90% decrease in the injured RLN (p<0.001) and thermal injury as the RLN injury mechanism (p=0.002). Voice parameter impairments were more severe in U Group compared to R Group. Compared to U1 group (19 patients), U2 Group (19 patients) had a significantly larger proportion of patients with EMG decrease >90% in the injured RLN (p=0.022) and thermal injury as the RLN injury mechanism (p=0.017). A large pitch range decrease in period-II was a prognostic indicator of a moderate/severe long-term postoperative subjective voice impairment. Conclusion:This study is the first to evaluate correlations between IONM findings and voice outcomes in patients with VFM impairment after thyroid surgery. Thyroid surgeons should make every effort to avoid severe type RLN injury (e.g., thermal injury or injury causing EMG decrease >90%), which raises the risk of unrecovered VFM and moderate/severe long-term postoperative subjective voice impairment. Using objective voice parameters (e.g., pitch range) as prognostic indicators not only enables surgeons to earlier identify patients with low voice satisfaction after surgery, and also enable implementation of interventions sufficiently early to maintain quality of life.

SUBMITTER: Huang TY

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8669766 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundContinuous intraoperative neuromonitoring has successfully demonstrated to predict impending damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve, by detecting changes in electromyographic recordings. Despite the apparent benefits associated with continuous intraoperative neuromonitoring, its safety is still a debate. The aim of this study was to investigate the electrophysiological impact of continuous intraoperative neuromonitoring on the vagus nerve.MethodsIn this prospective study, the amplitude of the electromyographic wave of the vagus nerve-recurrent laryngeal nerve axis was measured both proximally and distally to the stimulation electrode placed upon the vagus nerve. Electromyographic signal amplitudes were collected at three distinct events during the operation: during the dissection of the vagus nerve, before application of the continuous stimulation electrode onto the vagus nerve and after its removal.ResultsIn total, 169 vagus nerves were analysed, among 108 included patients undergoing continuous intraoperative neuromonitoring-enhanced endocrine neck surgeries. Electrode application resulted in a significant overall decrease in measured proximo-distal amplitudes of -10.94 µV (95 per cent c.i. -17.06 to -4.82 µV) (P < 0.005), corresponding to a mean(s.d.) decrease of -1.4(5.4) per cent. Before the removal of the electrode, the measured proximo-distal difference in amplitudes was -18.58 µV (95 per cent c.i. -28.31 to -8.86 µV) (P < 0.005), corresponding to a mean(s.d.) decrease of -2.50(9.59) per cent. Seven nerves suffered a loss of amplitude greater than 20 per cent of the baseline measurement.ConclusionIn addition to supporting claims that continuous intraoperative neuromonitoring exposes the vagus nerve to injury, this study shows a mild electrophysiological impact of continuous intraoperative neuromonitoring electrode placement on the vagus nerve-recurrent laryngeal nerve axis. However, the small observed differences are negligible and were not associated with a clinically relevant outcome, making continuous intraoperative neuromonitoring a safe adjunct in selected thyroid surgeries.

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Prognostic Indicators of Non-Transection Nerve Injury and Vocal Fold Motion Impairment After Thyroid Surgery - Correlation Between Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Findings and Perioperative Voice Parameters.

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