Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences

Published by : PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL PUBLICATIONS

ISSN 1681-715X

HOME   |   SEARCH   |   CURRENT ISSUE   |   PAST ISSUES

-

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

-

Volume 26

January - March  2010

Number  1


 

PDF of this Article

Identification of recurrent laryngeal nerve during
thyroidectomy decreasesthe risk of nerve injury

Prem Kumar Rathi1, Abdul Razaque Shaikh2, Gulshan Ara Shaikh3

ABSTRACT

Objectives: To determine the effect of Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve (RLN) exposure on the incidence of nerve injury, and compare the injury rate with that when nerve is not exposed during thyroid surgery.

Methodology: This prospective observational study was carried out in department of general surgery, at Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, from January 2005 to December 2006. A total of 120 patients were included, with 24 males and 96 females (male: female of 1: 4). Mean age of our patients was 30.85 years (range 14-68 years). The different surgical procedures, performed on thyroid gland included total thyroidectomy 23, near total thyroidectomy 58, subtotal thyroidectomy 28, and hemi-thyroidectomy 11. The RLN was exposed in 60 patients, in other group of 60 patients thyroidectomy was carried out without exposing RLN, and incidence of nerve injury was compared between two groups.

Results: RLN identification decreased the nerve injury incidence from 5% to 1.6%. When recurrent laryngeal nerve is not identified during thyroid surgery the chance to incur damage to RLN is statistically significant (Chi square at 1df 0.000)

Conclusion: We believe that RLN identification during thyroidectomy would be the best approach to avoid nerve injury.

KEY WORDS: Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve, Thyroidectomy, Nerve injury.

Pak J Med Sci   January - March 2010    Vol. 26 No. 1    148-151

How to cite this article:

Rathi PK, Shaikh AR, Shaikh GR. Identification of recurrent laryngeal nerve during thyroidectomy decreases the risk of nerve injury. Pak J Med Sci 2010;26(1):148-151


1. Dr. Prem Kumar Rathi, FRCS (Glasgow)
Assistant Professor Surgery,
2. Prof. Abdul Razaque Shaikh, FCPS
Professor Surgery,
3. Dr. Gulshan Ara Shaikh, DMRD
Assistant Professor Radiology,
1-3: Liaquat University of Medical and
Health Sciences (LUMHS),
Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan

Correspondence

Prof. Abdul Razaque Shaikh,
Professor of Surgery,
SU III Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences,
Jamshoro, Sindh,
Pakistan.
E-Mail: razaque_shaikh@yahoo.com

* Received for Publication: May 4, 2009

* Revision Received: December 24, 2009

* Revision Accepted: December 28th 2009



HOME   |   SEARCH   |   CURRENT ISSUE   |   PAST ISSUES

Professional Medical Publications
Room No. 522, 5th Floor, Panorama Centre
Building No. 2, P.O. Box 8766, Saddar, Karachi - Pakistan.
Phones : 5688791, 5689285 Fax : 5689860
pjms@pjms.com.pk