[Possibilities and limits of reconstructive surgery of the recurrent laryngeal nerve]

The authors report on possibilities and borderlines of reconstructive microsurgery of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. When paralysis of the vocal cord is proved after thyreoidectomy exploration and control of the nerve should be done immediately. This must be done as fast as possible, latest at the 7th day after thyreoidectomy. If there is found nerve injury caused by intraneural hematoma or compressing sutures microneurosurgical neurolysis and decompression can be done very successful. 8 of 10 neurolysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve reported by the authors were successful. Because of consecutive autoparalysis nerve suture is possible but not effective.