Highlights
- •Routine postoperative patients and those with vocal cord paralysis both report voice symptoms immediately post thyroidectomy.
- •Patients with postoperative vocal cord paralysis have significant morbidity based on objective measures.
- •The majority of patients with vocal cord paralysis recover to baseline function, subjectively and objectively, by 6 months.
Abstract
Background
Prior studies of post-thyroidectomy vocal cord paralysis (VCP) present static and
limited evaluations. We comprehensively assessed the experience of patients with VCP
post-thyroidectomy over 1 year.
Methods
Voice Handicap Index (VHI), Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10), 12-Item Short Form Survey
(SF-12), and qualitative interviews were assessed preoperatively, and 2-weeks, 6-weeks,
6-months, and 1-year postoperatively.
Outcomes
7 of 44 patients (15.9%) had postoperative VCP. Compared to those without complication,
mean VHI scores for VCP patients increased significantly from baseline at 2-weeks
(27.9 point increase vs 1.6, p < 0.01) and 6-weeks (26.3 vs. −0.3, p < 0.01) postoperative.
There were no significant differences between groups in SF-12 or EAT-10 scores at
any point. Qualitative interviews showed that both groups noted bothersome voice symptoms
at 2-weeks; however, by 6-weeks, only VCP patients noted voice symptoms negatively
affecting their life.
Conclusion
While both patients with and without VCP reported subjective voice symptoms immediately
postoperatively, those with VCP had worse quantitative measures. Understanding the
longitudinal experience of VCP can help providers tailor counseling for these patients.
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: October 07, 2022
Accepted:
October 5,
2022
Received in revised form:
September 16,
2022
Received:
July 28,
2022
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
