Bilateral Vocal Cord Paralysis Secondary to Head and Neck Surgery

Tekin M., Acar G. O., Kaytaz A., Savrun F. K., Celik M., Cam O. H.

JOURNAL OF CRANIOFACIAL SURGERY, vol.23, no.1, pp.135-137, 2012 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 23 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2012
  • Doi Number: 10.1097/scs.0b013e3182413d71
  • Journal Name: JOURNAL OF CRANIOFACIAL SURGERY
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.135-137
  • Istanbul University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Even endotracheal intubation could be considered safe in operations under general anesthesia; rarely, it could cause recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis as a complication. As mentioned in the literature, as a possible reason for this, anterior branches of the recurrent laryngeal nerve in the larynx could suffer from compression between the posteromedial part of the thyroid cartilage and the cuff of the tube. In the literature, unilateral vocal cord paralysis due to endotracheal intubation occurs more frequently in comparison to bilateral vocal cord paralysis. These types of palsies usually totally improve in approximately 6 months.