Voice changes after thyroidectomy without recurrent laryngeal nerve injury

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Speech Science

Background:

• Thyroidectomy can lead to voice alterations beyond inferior laryngeal nerve injury.
• Potential causes include superior laryngeal nerve or muscle damage.
• This study investigates voice changes post-thyroidectomy without inferior laryngeal nerve injury.

Purpose of the Study:

• To objectively analyze voice changes after total thyroidectomy.
• To identify patterns of voice modification unrelated to inferior laryngeal nerve damage.
• To inform preoperative patient counseling.

Main Methods:

• Acoustic voice analysis of 46 patients undergoing total thyroidectomy.
• Preoperative and postoperative measurements of voice intensity (Shimmer) and fundamental frequency (Fo).
• Evaluations at 2, 4, and 6 months post-surgery.

Main Results:

• 87% of patients reported voice changes post-thyroidectomy.
• Common complaints included voice fatigue, altered loudness, pitch changes, and singing difficulties.
• No significant differences in voice parameters were found between smokers/non-smokers or benign/malignant pathologies.

Conclusions:

• Voice changes are objectively measurable after uncomplicated thyroidectomy.
• These findings underscore the importance of preoperative patient counseling regarding potential voice alterations.
• Objective data supports ethical and legal considerations in patient communication.