[Delayed laryngeal nerve paralysis after lung cancer surgery; report of a case]

A 75-year-old woman with mesopharyngeal adenocarcinoma underwent left upper lobectomy for lung adenocarcinoma. Before the operation, computed tomography showed no stricture of the trachea, and laryngoscope showed no abnormality of vocal cord. Spiral tube( 7.5 mm I.D.) was used instead. One lung ventilation was achieved using balloon. It took 4 hours and 3 minutes to finish the surgical procedure. After extubation in the operation room, we did not recognize the breathing abnormality and laryngeal nerve palsy. 4 days after the operation, stridor was noticed, and laryngoscopic examination revealed stenosis of glottis due to bilateral laryngeal nerve paralysis. We performed the emergent tracheotomy. 7 days after the operation, nerve paralysis improved.