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Vocal Fold Paralysis and Thyroid Surgery

  • Chapter
Controversies in Thyroid Surgery

Abstract

Vocal fold immobility can be due to either paralysis, paresis, or immobility. Vocal fold mobility may be impaired either due to the primary thyroid disease, nerve injury with surgery, or in rare cases the intubation related to surgery. Aggressive malignant thyroid disease may directly involve the recurrent or superior laryngeal nerves, and thyroid surgery may result in temporary or permanent injury to the laryngeal nerves. This chapter will discuss the overall etiology and the thyroid disease specific causes of vocal fold immobility and vocal fold paralysis. It will describe surgical technical methods to avoid thyroid injury and importance of early evaluation of dysphonia with thyroid disease or following thyroid surgery. Finally, the chapter will discuss methods to rehabilitate voice and swallowing in patients with vocal fold paralysis. Controversies related to the evaluation, intraoperative assessment, and treatment and long-term treatment will be presented.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Head and Neck Institute, The Cleveland Clinic, Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Michael S. Benninger M.D. & Joseph Scharpf M.D.

  2. Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 9500 Euclid Avenue, A-71, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USA

    Michael S. Benninger M.D. & Joseph Scharpf M.D.

Authors
  1. Michael S. Benninger M.D.
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  2. Joseph Scharpf M.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael S. Benninger M.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery; University of Virginia Health System, C Bruce Morton Professor and Chief; Division of General Surgery, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

    John B. Hanks

  2. Chairman Department of Surgery, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, Eugene W Friedman Professor of Surgery; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA

    William B. Inabnet III

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Benninger, M.S., Scharpf, J. (2016). Vocal Fold Paralysis and Thyroid Surgery. In: Hanks, J., Inabnet III, W. (eds) Controversies in Thyroid Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20523-6_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20523-6_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-20522-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-20523-6

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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