Management of Post-Throidectomy Voice Problems: Surgeon's Perspectives / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury is not the only cause of voice alteration after thyroidectomy; many patients noticed slight voice changes after thyroidectomy, without evidence of RLN injury. Typical symptoms are easy fatigue during phonation and difficulty with high-pitched and singing voices; other symptoms are paresthesia, vague voice changes, throat discomfort, swallowing difficulties, and the feeling of choking. This collection of symptoms appears to be a real syndrome, which we have named post-thyroidectomy syndrome. In the management of these patients with unilateral vocal cord paralysis, injection laryngoplasty techniques have regained popularity in recent years. Because it is easier and less invasive than conventional medialization thyroplasty and may provide equally durable and effective results. As a novel voice rehabilitation procedure, RLN reinnervation has advantages which prevent the progressive loss of thyroarytenoid muscle tone, tension and potential of restoring a normal voice with preserving of laryngeal anatomy. In this manuscript, we could get a lots of useful information how to manage thyroidectomy related vocal fold paralysis with adequate different techniques at different situations.