[Safety of routine exposure of recurrent laryngeal nerve in thyroid surgery].

OBJECTIVE

To explore the safe approach to routine exposure of the recurrent laryngeal nerve in thyroid surgery.

METHODS

A total of 1974 sides of laryngeal nerves were exposed in 1458 thyroid surgeries, which included six right side non-recurrent laryngeal nerves. Ninety seven percent (1915 sides of the laryngeal nerves) were exposed through inferior thyroid artery way. The rest were exposed through nerve entrance way (38 sides, 1.9%) or isthmus-to-tracheoesophageal groove way (21 sides, 1.1%).

RESULTS

Permanent injury of recurrent laryngeal nerves occurred in seven cases, which comprised 0.5% of the total surgeries. Transient injury of recurrent laryngeal nerves occurred in 24 cases, which comprised 1.6% of the total surgeries.

CONCLUSION

Routine exposure of recurrent laryngeal nerve in thyroid surgery is safe. The exposure should be started from the inferior thyroid artery and be ended at the nerve entrance into laryngeal.