Thursday, 25 September 2025

Efficacy of Intraoperative Nerve Monitoring (IONM) in Preserving Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Function in Thyroid Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial | Chapter 8 | Medical Science: Recent Advances and Applications Vol. 11

 

Intraoperative nerve monitoring (IONM) is an essential technique for detecting Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve (RLN) function during thyroid surgery, significantly reducing the risk of nerve damage. IONM involves attaching sensors to the endotracheal tube, which stimulates the RLN and detects vocal cord motion. The study aims to determine whether IONM improves outcomes in thyroid surgery, particularly in preserving vocal cord function. Post-surgical voice function is assessed using tools like the GRBAS scale, CAPE-V, and the Voice Handicap Index (VHI), which evaluate dysphonia severity and its impact on daily life. This prospective randomized controlled study was conducted from January 2023 to May 2024 at PGIMER Chandigarh, involving 100 patients undergoing thyroidectomy. Surgical techniques involved using an NIM FLEX endotracheal tube for IONM in Group 1 and a standard Portex tube for Group 2. Nerve stimulation was performed using a monopolar stimulator probe, with real-time monitoring of amplitude and latency. In the preoperative 90-degree endoscopy, 96% of patients in the test group had bilateral true vocal cord (TVC) mobility, while 4% had left TVC palsy. In the control group, 100% had bilateral TVC mobility. In the test group, 86% of patients had bilateral TVC mobility, while 2% had right TVC palsy, 6% had left TVC palsy (2 of which were preoperative), 4% had right TVC paresis, and 2% had left TVC paresis. In the control group, 74% had bilateral TVC mobility, 2% had left TVC palsy, 14% had right TVC paresis, and 10% had left TVC paresis. There were no significant differences observed in GRBAS, VHI, CAPE-V, or MPD scores between the two groups on preoperative day, postoperative day 1, and postoperative day 10. The study highlighted that while IONM did not lead to a significant reduction in the overall incidence of RLN injury, it did aid in the preservation of vocal cord function. Transient nerve paresis was observed in the test group, specifically following repeated nerve stimulation, which was managed effectively with steroid therapy. Patients in the test group showed higher rates of bilateral true vocal cord mobility and less deviation from preoperative voice quality parameters, such as GRBAS scores and VHI, highlighting IONM’s role in reducing nerve injury severity and improving patient outcomes.

 

 

Author(s) Details

Shivam Saxena
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.

 

Jaimanti Bakshi
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.

 

Naresh Panda
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.

 

Rijuneeta Gupta
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.

 

Sourabha Patro
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.

 

Sanjay Munjal
Department of Speech and Audiometry, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.

 

Tanvir Samra
Department of Anesthesia, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/msraa/v11/6136

 

No comments:

Post a Comment