Impact of Thyroid surgery on Voice: A prospective study

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Speech and Voice Science
• Surgical Outcomes

Background:

• Thyroidectomy is a common surgical procedure worldwide.
• Post-operative voice changes can occur even without recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) or external branch of superior laryngeal nerve injury.
• Understanding these changes is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of thyroidectomy on voice parameters.
• To compare pre-operative and post-operative voice changes, specifically in the absence of known nerve injury.
• To analyze both subjective and objective voice parameters.

Main Methods:

• Patients undergoing thyroidectomy were assessed.
• Subjective voice assessment utilized the Voice Impairment Score (VIS).
• Objective voice parameters were analyzed using the Multi-Dimensional Voice Program (MDVP) at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months post-surgery.

Main Results:

• MDVP analysis revealed a decrease in Mean F0, Minimum F0, and Maximum F0 at 1 week post-thyroidectomy.
• A trend towards pre-operative voice parameter values was observed by 3 months post-surgery.
• Subjective voice assessments also indicated changes, though specific details are not provided in the abstract.

Conclusions:

• Thyroidectomy can lead to temporary voice alterations even when major nerves are preserved.
• Voice parameters tend to recover and approach pre-operative levels within three months.
• Further research may explore the specific mechanisms behind these transient voice changes.