Sequelae of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury after patent ductus arteriosus ligation.

OBJECTIVES

To prospectively study the clinical course of neonates with vocal cord paralysis (VCP) after patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) ligation.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study of all premature infants undergoing PDA ligation from March 2001 to February 2004. Flexible laryngoscopy was performed after extubation to assess vocal cord function. Data regarding patient characteristics, operative findings, post-operative endoscopic findings, and the subsequent clinical course were collected.

RESULTS

One hundred patients were enrolled. Flexible laryngoscopy was performed on 61 patients. Median birth weight was 740 g, gestational age 25 weeks, and age at operation 23 days. Flexible laryngoscopy was performed at an average of 8 days after extubation. Seven cases of vocal cord paralysis were identified. Two had stridor and feeding difficulty requiring nasogastric feeding. Five of the seven had an average follow-up of 9 months after surgery. At last follow-up, endoscopically satisfactory compensation by the normal vocal cord was observed in all five patients. No patient had feeding problems.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of infants who can be successfully extubated after PDA ligation tend to be asymptomatic despite vocal cord paralysis. Compensation appears to occur rapidly, and patients generally have no *long-term problems with the airway or feeding.