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VOICE CHANGES AND THYROID SURGERY: IS PRE‐OPERATIVE INDIRECT LARYNGOSCOPY NECESSARY?
Author(s) -
Yeung Philip,
Erskine Catherine,
Mathews Philip,
Crowe PHILIP J.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.111
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 0004-8682
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1622.1999.01653.x
Subject(s) - medicine , laryngoscopy , asymptomatic , thyroid , thyroidectomy , surgery , recurrent laryngeal nerve , vocal cord paralysis , cord , palsy , general surgery , intubation , pathology , paralysis , alternative medicine
Background : Indirect laryngoscopy (IDL) is often performed prior to thyroid surgery to detect pre‐existing vocal cord pathology. Methods : A retrospective chart review of 201 patients undergoing thyroid surgery at the Prince of Wales Hospital was undertaken in order to study the patterns of pre‐operative and postoperative voice changes and IDL findings. Results : A total of 9% of patients had pre‐operative voice symptoms, and 22% of this group had abnormalities detected on pre‐operative IDL. Of 160 documented IDL, 4% revealed vocal cord pathology in asymptomatic patients, including an asymptomatic recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. Conclusions : Indirect laryngoscopy remains a useful but flawed pre‐operative screening tool for patients with voice symptoms, but the literature suggests that more advanced phoniatric tests will provide superior diagnostic sensitivity. The role of routine pre‐operative laryngoscopy for asymptomatic patients is of debatable value.