Which nerve is damage in thyroidectomy?
Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury (RLNI) is one of the common complications of thyroidectomy, which can lead to postoperative vocal cord palsy (VCP). In thyroid surgery, the incidence of RLNI can be reduced by routine visual identification of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN).
What nerve is preserved during a thyroidectomy?
Both the RLN and the EBSLN are anatomically close to the thyroid and are therefore at risk of injury during thyroidectomy. These 2 laryngeal nerves must be carefully preserved during surgery to ensure that the function of the vocal cord is not impaired.
Does recurrent laryngeal nerve supply thyroid?
The left recurrent laryngeal nerve comes from the left vagus nerve, loops posteriorly around the arch of the aorta, and ascends in the tracheoesophageal groove posterior to the left lobe of the thyroid, where it enters the larynx and innervates the musculature in a similar fashion as the right nerve.
Which is the most common nerve to be damaged in thyroid surgery?
The external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) is probably the nerve most commonly injured in thyroid surgery, with an injury rate estimated at 0-25%.
What happens when after thyroidectomy there is damage to the external laryngeal nerve?
Laryngeal complications after thyroidectomy are a common problem. The leading cause of the problem is injury to the recurrent nerve. Studies performed on large groups of patients show a prevalence for permanent palsy of the recurrent nerve ranging from 0% after primary surgery to 20% after revision surgery.
What happens if external laryngeal nerve is damaged?
Damage to the laryngeal nerve can result in loss of voice or obstruction to breathing. Laryngeal nerve damage can be caused by injury, tumors, surgery, or infection. Damage to the nerves of the larynx can cause hoarseness, difficulty in swallowing or breathing, or the loss of voice.
What nerve supplies the thyroid?
The parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system is the primary innervation of the thyroid gland, via the vagus nerve (CNX).
What nerve is near the thyroid gland?
The two nerves of importance that pass through the thyroid are the left and right recurrent laryngeal nerves [RLN]. They are often located on the lateral aspect of the thyroid gland near the vicinity of the inferior thyroid artery.
What happens when the recurrent laryngeal nerve is damaged?
Injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve has the potential to cause unilateral vocal cord paralysis. Patients with this typically complain of new-onset hoarseness, changes in vocal pitch, or noisy breathing.
What are the symptoms of laryngeal nerve damage?
Damage to the nerves of the larynx can cause hoarseness, difficulty in swallowing or breathing, or the loss of voice. Treatment depends on the cause and extent of the laryngeal nerve damage. Damage to the laryngeal nerve can result in loss of voice or obstruction to breathing.
How common is vocal cord paralysis after thyroidectomy?
The incidence of post-thyroidectomy vocal cord paralysis has been reported in the range of 3.5–6.6%, and 93–100% of these patients had made complete recovery. Vocal cord paralysis may be unilateral or bilateral, and could be transient or permanent.
What nerve supplies the larynx?
The vagus nerve
The vagus nerve is the 10th cranial nerve and is responsible for supplying the entire larynx with its complex innervation through the different nerves and respective branches discussed in this article.
What is laryngeal nerve?
The recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) is a branch of the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X) that supplies all the intrinsic muscles of the larynx, with the exception of the cricothyroid muscles. There are two recurrent laryngeal nerves, right and left.
How do you diagnose laryngeal nerve damage?
Laryngeal nerve damage can be caused by injury, tumors, surgery, or infection. Damage to the nerves of the larynx can cause hoarseness, difficulty in swallowing or breathing, or the loss of voice….Tests may include:
- Bronchoscopy.
- CT scan of the chest.
- Laryngoscopy.
- MRI of the brain, neck, and chest.
- X-ray.
How do you fix laryngeal nerve damage?
Treatment depends on the cause of the injury. In some cases, no treatment may be needed and the nerve may recover on its own. Voice therapy is useful in some cases. If surgery is needed, the goal is to change the position of the paralyzed vocal cord to improve the voice.
How do I get my voice back after thyroidectomy?
Will my voice ever return to normal? As mentioned above, if there is no nerve injury or if the injury is minimal, it’s expected that voice changes will settle within three to six months. If one nerve is transected (i.e. cut), there is no possibility of a complete return to normal voice.
What nerve innervates the pharynx?
the vagus nerve
They are all innervated by the pharyngeal plexus and pharyngeal branch of the vagus nerve, except the stylopharyngeus which is innervated by the glossopharyngeal nerve….Stylopharyngeus muscle.
| Origins | Medial base of styloid process of temporal bone |
|---|---|
| Innervation | Glossopharyngeal nerve |
| Function | Elevates pharynx and larynx |