Objective: To study how to prevent recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) lesions by anastomosing it during thyroid surgery.
Method: In the present study 517 patients with thyroid diseases underwent thyroid surgery from January 1993 to May 2005, with RLNs of 163 cases (187 sides, A group) anatomized and RLNs of 354 cases (438 sides. B group) not anatomized. The RLN in B group were protected generally during thyroid surgery. RLNs of A group were anatomized partly or totally.
Result: (1) In A group RLNs of 123 cases were partly anatomized and 64 totally. None of all RLNs was injuried. (2) B group 3 sides of 3 cases of all RLNs was injuried. The rate of RLN's lesion is 0.7%, which is significantly higher in A group than in B group.
Conclusion: Anastomosing RLN during thyroid surgery may prevent its lesions. The length of anatomized RLN must vary with the area and position of thyroid pathological changes. The RLN needn't be anatomized in these patients with the benign thyroid pathological changes which is far away trachea-oesophagus channel.