Prospective electromyographic evaluation of functional postthyroidectomy voice and swallowing symptoms

Voice and swallowing symptoms following thyroidectomy in the absence of any demonstration of laryngeal nerves injury are usually considered a functional outcome of uncomplicated operations, mainly related to scar formation and emotional reaction. They could be related to unapparent laryngeal nerve or cricothyroid (CT) muscle injuries detectable only by laryngeal electromyography (LEMG). We correlated such symptoms with LEMG patterns

Video-assisted thyroidectomy significantly reduces the risk of early postthyroidectomy voice and swallowing symptoms

BACKGROUND: Voice and swallowing symptoms are frequently reported after thyroidectomy even in absence of objective voice alterations. We evaluated the influence of the video-assisted approach on voice and swallowing outcome of thyroidectomy. METHODS: Sixty-five patients undergoing total thyroidectomy (TT) were recruited. Eligibility criteria were: nodule size<or=30 mm, thyroid volume<or=30 ml, no previous neck surgery. Exclusion criteria were: younger than aged 18 years and older than aged 75 years, vocal fold paralysis, history of voice, laryngeal or pulmonary diseases, malignancy other than papillary thyroid carcinoma. Patients were randomized for video-assisted (VAT) or conventional (CT) thyroidectomy. Videostrobolaryngoscopy (VSL), acoustic voice analysis (AVA), and maximum phonation time (MPT) evaluation were performed preoperatively and 3 months after TT. Subjective evaluation of voice (voice impairment score=VIS) and swallowing (swallowing impairment score=SIS) were obtained preoperatively, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after TT. RESULTS: Fifty-three patients completed the postoperative evaluation: 29 in the VAT group, and 24 in the CT group. No laryngeal nerves injury was shown at postoperative VSL. Mean postoperative MPT, F0, Flow, Fhigh, and the number of semitones were significantly reduced in the CT group but not in the VAT group. Mean VIS 3 months after surgery was significantly higher than preoperatively in CT group but not in the VAT group. Mean SIS was significantly decreased 1 and 3 months after VAT but not after CT. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence and the severity of early voice and swallowing postthyroidectomy symptoms are significantly reduced in patients who undergo VAT compared with conventional surgery

Voice quality and surgical detail in post-laryngectomy tracheoesophageal speakers

The objective of this study is to assess surgical parameters correlating with voice quality after total laryngectomy (TL) by relating voice and speech outcomes of TL speakers to surgical details. Seventy-six tracheoesophageal patients' voice recordings of running speech and sustained vowel were assessed in terms of voice characteristics. Measurements were related to data retrieved from surgical reports and patient records. In standard TL (sTL), harmonics-to-noise ratio was more favorable after primary TL + postoperative RT than after salvage TL. Pause/breathing time increased when RT preceded TL, after extensive base of tongue resection, and after neck dissections. Fundamental frequency (f0) measures were better after neurectomy. Females showed higher minimum f0 and higher second formants. While voice quality differed widely after sTL, gastric pull-ups and non-circumferential pharyngeal reconstructions using (myo-)cutaneous flaps scored worst in voice and speech measures and the two tubed free flaps best. Formant/resonance measures in/a/indicated differences in pharyngeal lumen properties and cranio-caudal place of the neoglottic bar between pharyngeal reconstructions, and indicate that narrower pharynges and/or more superiorly located neoglottic bars bring with them favorable voice quality. Ranges in functional outcome after TL in the present data, and the effects of treatment and surgical variables such as radiotherapy, neurectomy, neck dissection, and differences between partial or circumferential reconstructions on different aspects of voice and speech underline the importance of these variables for voice quality. Using running speech, next to sustained/a/, renders more reliable results. More balanced data, and better detail in surgical reporting will improve our knowledge on voice quality after TL