Effectiveness of Direct Transcricothyroid Electromyographic Monitoring in Thyroidectomy Surgery

Thyroid surgeries are associated with complications of vocal cord palsy and hypocalcemia which can be debilitating. The usage of intraoperative nerve monitoring is a useful adjunct to direct nerve visualization in thyroidectomies. We advocate the usage of direct transcricothyroid electromyographic monitoring in identifying recurrent laryngeal nerve. We retrospectively collected data of all patients who underwent thyroidectomies (total thyroidectomy, hemithyroidectomy, isthmusdectomy) using direct transcricothyroid electromyographic monitoring from April 2020 to August 2021. Data was analysed based on patient's demographics, comorbidities, complications post thyroidectomy such as vocal cord palsy, transient and permanent hypocalcemia. 50 thyroidectomies were performed, 10 developed unilateral vocal cord palsy. Out of 22 total thyroidectomies, 7 developed transient hypocalcemia and 4 permanently. 1 patient developed vocal cord hematoma secondary to direct insertion of intraoperative nerve monitor's electrode. Direct transcricothyroid electromyographic monitoring is a feasible and effective method in intraoperative monitoring of recurrent laryngeal nerve during thyroid surgeries.