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Voice and vocal self‐assessment after thyroidectomy
Author(s) -
de Pedro Netto Irene,
Fae Aline,
Vartanian José Guilherme,
Barros Ana Paula Brandão,
Correia Luiz Maurício,
Toledo Ronaldo Nunes,
Testa José Ricardo Gurgel,
Nishimoto Inês Nobuko,
Kowalski Luiz Paulo,
Angelis Elisabete Carrarade
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/hed.20480
Subject(s) - medicine , thyroidectomy , thyroid , swallowing , larynx , surgery , prospective cohort study , voice analysis , laryngoscopy , intubation , linguistics , philosophy
Background. Voice alterations after thyroidectomy can be found even with preserved function of laryngeal nerves. The purpose of this study was to evaluate voice before and after thyroid surgery and the role of orotracheal intubation on voice changes. Methods. We conducted a prospective nonrandomized study of patients who underwent thyroid surgery and compared the results with a control group of patients who underwent breast surgery. Subjects underwent a videolaryngoscopic exam, a subjective and an objective voice analysis and a Voice Handicap Index (VHI) questionnaire before and after surgery. Results. A total of 100 patients who underwent thyroidectomy and 30 who underwent breast surgery were studied. Both groups were similar in demographic, clinical, and surgical variables. Postoperative videolaryngoscopy showed larynx alterations in 28% of the thyroidectomized patients, without significant alterations in the control group. There were subjective voice changes in 29.7% of the patients without vocal fold immobility after thyroid surgery and no statistically significant changes after breast surgery. Acoustic analysis showed significant increased values in the voice turbulence index (VTI) parameter in both groups, although higher in the thyroid one. In the VHI assessment, voice complaints were more frequently registered in the thyroid group rather than in the control group. Conclusions. Voice alterations are frequent after thyroidectomy even with preserved vocal fold mobility. Such alterations were more frequently detected in that group than in patients who underwent breast surgery. Orotracheal intubation is just one of the multiple factors involved. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2006