Application of intraoperative neuromonitoring in difficult thyroid carcinoma operation / 中华内分泌外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the value of intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) for recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury during difficult thyroid carcinoma operation.Methods Data of 102 patients admitted from Nov.2012 to Nov.2015 who underwent complex thyroid carcinoma operation were retrospectively analyzed.Among the 102 patients,39 were receiving the first operation due to local advanced thyroid cancer,and 63 were receiving the second operation.According to whether IONM was applied,the patients were divided into the observation group(57 patients) and the control group(45 patients).Difference of the time cost in exposing and dissecting RLN and RLN injury rate between the two groups was compared.Results The time cost in exposing and dissecting RLN was shorter in the observation group ((7.88±1.55)min) than in the control group ((12.60±3.56)min),with statistical difference (t=-2.449,P=0.044).Three patients (5.26％) in the observation group and 7 patients(15.56％) in the control group had temporary RLN injury,with no statistical difference (P=0.161).No one in the observation group and 2 patients (4.44％) in the control group had permanent RLN injury,and the difference had no statistical significance(P=0.192).Conclusions On the basis of normative surgical procedure,IONM technology can reduce the time of exposing and dissecting RLN,and it has practical value in reducing the risk of RLN injury in difficult thyroid carcinoma operation.