• Saad M Alqahtani, Hanan R Al-Sohabi, Musaed F Rayzah, Amani S Alatawi, Areej A AlFattani, and Yousef S Alalawi.
• From the Department of Surgery (Alqahtani, Rayzah), College of Medicine, Majmaah University, Al-Majmaah, from the Department of Surgery (Al-sohabi, Alalawi), King Salman Armed Forces Hospital Northwestern Region, from the Department of Surgery (Alatawi), King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Tabuk, and from the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Scientific Computing (AlFattani), King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Saudi Med J. 2023 Jan 1; 44 (1): 808480-84.

ObjectivesTo determine the incidence and possible risk factors of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, to provide a relevant literature review of studies from other centers in Saudi Arabia, and to present basic statistical data for future studies in our local community.MethodsA retrospective study enrolled patients who were surgically treated for thyroid disease between January 2015 and December 2021. For concerns during the procedure, direct laryngoscopy was carried out before extubation to assess the vocal cords. Similarly, indirect laryngoscopy was carried out for patients who developed postoperative voice changes. All patients were evaluated clinically 2-3 weeks after surgery. Nerve monitors were not used in either case.ResultsThe study examined 437 participants: 361 (82.6%) female and 76 (17.4%) male individuals. The incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury was 1.1%. The demographic characteristics, pathology (benign vs. malignant), and extent of thyroidectomy were not significantly associated with the risk of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury.ConclusionA recurrent laryngeal nerve injury is a serious complication, and further studies are required to determine the safest techniques for thyroidectomy. However, centralization of thyroid surgery in high-volume centers might reduce this risk.Copyright: © Saudi Medical Journal.

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