Exposure of the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve in Thyroid Surgery

Objective To investigate the value of exposure of the recurrent laryngeal nerve(RLN) in thyroid surgery for the prevention of the RLN injury.Methods The clinical data of 2 481 cases with thyroid diseases undergoing thyroid surgery from January 2004 to December 2011 were retrospectively reviewed.The patients were divided into two groups: 1 425 cases had the recurrent laryngeal nerve exposed(RLN exposed group) and 1 056 cases unexposed the recurrent laryngeal nerve(RLN unexposed group).Injuries of the RLN were observed.Results There were 31 cases(2.18%) of temporary nerve injuries in the RLN exposed group but no permanent nerve injury case was found.There were 39 cases of temporary nerve injuries and 5 cases of permanent nerve injuries in the RLN unexposed group(4.17%).There was significant difference between the two groups(P0.01).Conclusion Exposure of RLN in thyroid surgery is a safe and effective way to protect the RLN.It is very helpful to prevent the iatrogenic recurrent laryngeal nerve injury.