Objective: To determine the prevalence of vocal cord paralysis among post thyroidectomy patients based on severity and laterality, and explore possible associations with age, sex, diagnosis and type of thyroid lesion and surgical procedure. Methods: Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Tertiary Government Training Hospital. Participants: Records of patients who underwent thyroidectomy under the Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery of the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center from January 1, 2014 to June 30, 2021. Results: There were strong associations between the type of lesion and the presence of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury (V=.211, p=.001) and the diagnosis and the presence of RLNI (V=.245, p=.006). There were no significant associations between patient’s sex, age, diagnosis, type of thyroid lesion, surgical procedure with laterality and severity of RLNI. It was notable that all cases of bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve injury were due to carcinoma only. Patients with malignant tumors were 2.8x (95% CI: 1.48-5.29) as likely to develop post surgical RLNI than those with benign tumors (p=.0015). Conclusion The factors that had a strong association with the presence of vocal cord paralysis among post-thyroidectomy patients were the diagnosis and type of thyroid lesion. Malignant thyroid lesions (specifically thyroid carcinoma) had a higher incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury compared to benign thyroid lesions. More data from different institutions and including other predisposing factors may confirm our findings.
Paralysis ; Vocal Cords ; Thyroidectomy ; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve ; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injuries

Objective:To explore the safety and feasibility of bilateral axillo-breast approach （BABA） robot in the operation of thyroid cancer in obese women. Methods:The clinical data of 81 obese female patients who underwent da Vinci robotic thyroid cancer surgery（robotic group） at the Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, PLA 960 Hospital from May 2018 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed and compared with the clinical data of 106 obese female thyroid cancer patients who underwent open surgery（open group） during the same period. The age, body mass index（BMI）, mean time of surgery, mean postoperative drainage, tumor diameter, postoperative tumor stage, number of lymph node dissection in the central and lateral cervical regions, number of positive lymph nodes in the central and lateral cervical regions, postoperative cosmetic outcome satisfaction score, mean postoperative hospital stay and postoperative complications of all patients were counted. The results were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 statistical software, and the count data were compared using the χ² test, and the measurement data were compared using the t test. Results:All patients completed the operation successfully, and there was no conversion in the robot group, postoperative pathological results were all composed of papillary thyroid carcinoma. The operation time in the robot group was（144.62±36.38） min, which was longer than that in the open group（117.06±18.72） min（P<0.05）. The average age of the robot group was（40.25±9.27） years, which was lower than that of the open group（49.59±8.70） years（P<0.05）. The satisfactory score of cosmetic effect in the robot group（9.44±0.65） was higher than that in the open group（5.23±1.07）（P<0.05）. There was no significant difference in tumor diameter, BMI, average postoperative drainage, temporary hypoparathyroidism and recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, number of central and lateral cervical lymph node dissection, number of positive lymph nodes in the central and lateral cervical regions, and average postoperative hospital stay between the two groups. There was no permanent hypoparathyroidism and recurrent laryngeal nerve injury in both groups. Conclusion:The application of BABA pathway robot in thyroid cancer surgery in obese women is safe and feasible, and the cosmetic effect is better after operation.
Humans ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Robotics/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injuries ; Thyroidectomy/methods* ; Carcinoma, Papillary/surgery* ; Thyroid Neoplasms/pathology* ; Neck Dissection ; Treatment Outcome

Esophageal perforation is a rare but potentially fatal complication of robot-assisted thyroidectomy (RAT). Herein, we report the long-term outcome of an esophageal reconstruction with a jejunal free flap for esophageal rupture after RAT. A 33-year-old woman developed subcutaneous emphysema and hoarseness on postoperative day1 following RAT. Esophageal rupture was diagnosed by computed tomography and endoscopy, and immediate surgical exploration confirmed esophageal rupture, as well as recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. We performed a jejunal free flap repair of the 8-cm defect in the esophagus. End-to-side microvascular anastomoses were created between the right external carotid artery and the jejunal branches of the superior mesenteric artery, and end-to-end anastomosis was performed between the external jugular vein and the jejunal vein. The right recurrent laryngeal nerve injury was repaired with a 4-cm nerve graft from the right ansa cervicalis. Esophagography at 1 year after surgery confirmed that there were no leaks or structures, endoscopy at 1 year confirmed the resolution of vocal cord paralysis, and there were no residual problems with swallowing or speech at a 5-year follow-up examination. RAT requires experienced surgeons with a thorough knowledge of anatomy, as well as adequate resources to quickly and competently address potentially severe complications such as esophageal rupture.
Adult ; Animals ; Carotid Artery, External ; Deglutition ; Endoscopy ; Esophageal Perforation ; Esophagus ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Free Tissue Flaps* ; Hoarseness ; Humans ; Jejunum ; Jugular Veins ; Mesenteric Artery, Superior ; Microsurgery ; Rats ; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injuries ; Rupture* ; Subcutaneous Emphysema ; Surgeons ; Thyroidectomy* ; Transplants ; Veins ; Vocal Cord Paralysis

Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury can develop following cervical or thoracic surgery; however, few reports have described intraoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring. Consensus regarding the use of this technique during thoracic surgery is lacking. We used intraoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring in a patient with contralateral vocal cord paralysis who was scheduled for completion pneumonectomy. This case serves as an example of intraoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring during thoracic surgery and supports this indication for its use.
Consensus ; Humans ; Monitoring, Intraoperative ; Pneumonectomy ; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injuries ; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve* ; Thoracic Surgery ; Vocal Cord Paralysis* ; Vocal Cords*

Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury can develop following cervical or thoracic surgery; however, few reports have described intraoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring. Consensus regarding the use of this technique during thoracic surgery is lacking. We used intraoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring in a patient with contralateral vocal cord paralysis who was scheduled for completion pneumonectomy. This case serves as an example of intraoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring during thoracic surgery and supports this indication for its use.
Consensus ; Humans ; Monitoring, Intraoperative ; Pneumonectomy ; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injuries ; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve* ; Thoracic Surgery ; Vocal Cord Paralysis* ; Vocal Cords*

Vocal fold paralysis (VFP) refers to neurological causes of reduced or absent movement of one or both vocal folds. Bilateral VFP (BVFP) is characterized by inspiratory dyspnea due to narrowing of the airway at the glottic level with both vocal folds assuming a paramedian position. The primary objective of intervention for BVFP is to relieve patients’ dyspnea. Common clinical options for management include tracheostomy, arytenoidectomy and cordotomy. Other options that have been used with varying success include reinnervation techniques and botulinum toxin (Botox) injections into the vocal fold adductors. More recently, research has focused on neuromodulation, laryngeal pacing, gene therapy, and stem cell therapy. These newer approaches have the potential advantage of avoiding damage to the voicing mechanism of the larynx with an added goal of restoring some physiologic movement of the affected vocal folds. However, clinical data are scarce for these new treatment options (i.e., reinnervation and pacing), so more investigative work is needed. These areas of research are expected to provide dramatic improvements in the treatment of BVFP.
Botulinum Toxins ; Cordotomy ; Dyspnea ; Electric Stimulation Therapy ; Genetic Therapy ; Larynx ; Paralysis* ; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injuries ; Review Literature as Topic* ; Stem Cells ; Synkinesis ; Tracheostomy ; Vocal Cord Paralysis ; Vocal Cords*

Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury can result in unilateral or bilateral vocal cords paralysis, thereby causing a series of complications, such as hoarseness and dyspnea. However, the repair of RLN remains a great challenge in current medicine. This study aimed to develop human umbilical mesenchymal stem cells (HuMSCs) and nerve growth factor (NGF)-loaded heparinized collagen scaffolds (HuMSCs/NGF HC-scaffolds) and evaluate their potential in the repair of RLN injury. HuMSCs/NGF HC-scaffolds were prepared through incorporating HuMSCs and NGF into heparinized collagen scaffolds that were prefabricated by freeze-drying in a template. The resulting scaffolds were characterized by FTIR, SEM, porosity, degradation in vitro, NGF release in vitro and bioactivity. A rabbit RLN injury model was constructed to appraise the performance of HuMSCs/NGF HC-scaffolds for nerve injury repair. Electrophysiology, histomorphology and diagnostic proteins expression for treated nerves were checked after application of various scaffolds. The results showed that the composite scaffolds with HuMSCs and NGF were rather helpful for the repair of broken RLN. The RLN treated with HuMSCs/NGF HC-scaffolds for 8 weeks produced a relatively normal electromyogram, and the levels of calcium-binding protein S100, neurofilament and AchE pertinent to nerve were found to be close to the normal ones but higher than those resulted from other scaffolds. Taken together, HuMSCs/NGF HC-scaffolds exhibited a high score on the nerve injury repair and may be valuable for the remedy of RLN injury.
Collagen* ; Dyspnea ; Electrophysiology ; Heparin* ; Hoarseness ; Humans* ; In Vitro Techniques ; Intermediate Filaments ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells* ; Nerve Growth Factor* ; Paralysis ; Porosity ; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injuries* ; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve* ; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ; Umbilical Cord* ; Vocal Cords

PURPOSE: The early surgical outcomes of endoscopic thyroidectomy in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) are comparable to those of conventional open thyroidectomy; however, there is little evidence about long-term outcomes. The aim of this study was to compare the 5-year surgical outcomes of endoscopic versus open thyroidectomy. METHODS: We reviewed 804 patients with PTC who underwent thyroidectomy between October 2008 and October 2010. Of these, 703 patients received conventional open thyroidectomy (OT group) and 101patients underwent endoscopic thyroidectomy (ET group). The clinicopathologic characteristics and surgical outcomes were compared between those treatments. RESULTS: ET was applied significantly more often in young patients and females. The lobectomy and unilateral CCND were performed more frequently in ET, and the mean tumor size was smaller. The prevalence of extrathyroidal extension, multiplicity, and lymphatic invasion was more frequent in OT. The T and TNM stage were more advanced in OT, whereas the N status was similar between treatments. The mean surgical time was significantly longer for ET, while the number of retrieved lymph nodes was greater in OT. However, the stimulated thyroglobulin levels at first RAI ablation, total amount of RAI administration and 5-year recurrence rate did not significantly differ between groups. The incidence of transient hypocalcemia was significantly higher in OT, but the incidence of permanent hypocalcemia and transient/permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve injury were similar in both groups. CONCLUSION: Endoscopic thyroidectomy might be a safe and effective procedure in well-selected PTC patients
Female ; Humans ; Hypocalcemia ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes ; Operative Time ; Prevalence ; Recurrence ; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injuries ; Thyroglobulin ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyroidectomy*

PURPOSE: Obesity is associated with a number of medical comorbidities and is considered a risk factor for surgical complications. The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of body habitus including obesity on the surgical outcomes of the Bilateral axillo-breast approach (BABA) robotic thyroidectomy (RoT) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients. METHODS: The medical records of 456 PTC patients who underwent BABA RoT between January 2011 and December 2012 were reviewed, and 310 women PTC patients who had undergone BABA robotic total thyroidectomy with central lymph node dissection were examined. Body habitus were evaluated by measuring body mass index (BMI), body surface area, and neck circumference. We divided the patients into BMI < 25 kg/m2 and BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 groups. Clinicopathological data, surgical outcomes, and postoperative complications were evaluated. RESULTS: Clinicopathological characteristics did not differ between the 2 BMI groups. The creation of working space time (P = 0.210) and other surgical outcomes showed no significant differences between the groups. There were no statistically significant differences between body habitus indexes and postoperative length of hospital stay, number of retrieved central lymph nodes, postoperative thyroglobulin levels, occurrence of hypoparathyoidism, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury and wound complication. CONCLUSION: Patient with large body habitus undergoing BABA RoT were not at an increased risk of surgical complications and showed good surgical outcomes. BABA RoT may be a good alternative operative method for PTC patients for whom cosmetic outcome is an important consideration.
Body Mass Index ; Body Surface Area ; Comorbidity ; Female ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; Medical Records ; Methods ; Neck ; Obesity ; Postoperative Complications ; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injuries ; Risk Factors ; Thyroglobulin ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyroidectomy* ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: Obesity is associated with a number of medical comorbidities and is considered a risk factor for surgical complications. The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of body habitus including obesity on the surgical outcomes of the Bilateral axillo-breast approach (BABA) robotic thyroidectomy (RoT) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients. METHODS: The medical records of 456 PTC patients who underwent BABA RoT between January 2011 and December 2012 were reviewed, and 310 women PTC patients who had undergone BABA robotic total thyroidectomy with central lymph node dissection were examined. Body habitus were evaluated by measuring body mass index (BMI), body surface area, and neck circumference. We divided the patients into BMI < 25 kg/m2 and BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 groups. Clinicopathological data, surgical outcomes, and postoperative complications were evaluated. RESULTS: Clinicopathological characteristics did not differ between the 2 BMI groups. The creation of working space time (P = 0.210) and other surgical outcomes showed no significant differences between the groups. There were no statistically significant differences between body habitus indexes and postoperative length of hospital stay, number of retrieved central lymph nodes, postoperative thyroglobulin levels, occurrence of hypoparathyoidism, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury and wound complication. CONCLUSION: Patient with large body habitus undergoing BABA RoT were not at an increased risk of surgical complications and showed good surgical outcomes. BABA RoT may be a good alternative operative method for PTC patients for whom cosmetic outcome is an important consideration.
Body Mass Index ; Body Surface Area ; Comorbidity ; Female ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; Medical Records ; Methods ; Neck ; Obesity ; Postoperative Complications ; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injuries ; Risk Factors ; Thyroglobulin ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyroid Neoplasms* ; Thyroidectomy* ; Wounds and Injuries