Effect of Interventional Ultrasound in the Treatment of Postthyroidectomy Vocal Cord Dysfunction: A Preliminary Exploratory Study

Purpose: To explore the efficacy of interventional ultrasound treatment for hoarseness caused by nondisconnected recurrent laryngeal nerve injury after thyroidectomy.

Materials and methods: In this retrospective study, we analysed the clinical data of 21 patients who underwent interventional ultrasound therapy (ultrasound-guided injection of a Diprospan and saline mixture) for postthyroidectomy hoarseness at our hospital between August 1, 2023, and January 31, 2024 (the Diprospan group) and randomly selected 21 patients who did not receive any treatment for postthyroidectomy hoarseness during the same period as the control group. The average vocal cord activity improvement time for the Diprospan group was calculated and compared with that of untreated patients from previous studies. Vocal cord activity improvement rates were assessed at 1, 2, and 3 mo after thyroidectomy, and changes in the voice handicap index (VHI) and the subjective listening perception scale (GRBAS) scores before and after treatment were evaluated. Additionally, the efficacy was compared between patients treated within 2 wk (timely intervention group, TI group) and those treated 2 wk after thyroidectomy (delayed intervention group, DI group) to explore the impact of treatment timing on outcomes.

Results: In the Diprospan group, the average vocal cord activity improvement time was 44.6 ± 4.7 d for those treated within 2 wk after thyroidectomy and 17.7 ± 1.5 d for those treated 2 wk after thyroidectomy, both of which were significantly shorter than the 6 mo to 1 y reported in the literature. The improvement rates at 1, 2, and 3 mo after thyroidectomy were significantly greater in the Diprospan group than in the control group (0.0% vs. 28.6%, 23.8% vs. 81.0%, 33.3% vs. 90.5%, p < 0.05). The VHI score (72.6 ± 21.2 vs. 12.6 ± 24.7, p < 0.001) and GRBAS score (12.0 vs. 0.0, p < 0.001) significantly improved after treatment. Compared with the DI group, the TI group also showed faster voice recovery (19.8 ± 5.8 d vs. 14.0 ± 2.6 d, p < 0.05). No treatment-related adverse reactions were observed.

Conclusion: Interventional ultrasound is a safe and effective treatment for hoarseness after thyroidectomy, as it effectively improves vocal cord mobility and accelerates voice recovery.