Laryngeal Injuries Following General Endotracheal Anesthesia: A Case Series.

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Otolaryngology
• Surgical Complications

Background:

• Endotracheal intubation, a common procedure, can lead to laryngeal injuries.
• These injuries range from temporary hoarseness to permanent vocal cord immobility.
• This study investigates injuries in procedures not typically associated with high risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of laryngeal injury after tracheal intubation in lower-risk surgical procedures.
• To describe the clinical features and outcomes of these injuries.
• To assess the long-term resolution of post-intubation laryngeal injuries.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of adult patients undergoing tracheal intubation for surgery (May 2018 - Dec 2024).
• Exclusion of cardiothoracic, thyroid, parathyroid, and anterior cervical spine procedures.
• Analysis of patient demographics, intubation details, treatments, and outcomes for those with laryngeal injury symptoms.

Main Results:

• 30 out of 267,824 patients developed persistent laryngeal injury (incidence 6.6/100,000).
• 67% had vocal cord movement abnormalities; 33% had no structural abnormality.
• 70% of patients showed partial improvement, but none achieved complete resolution at follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Laryngeal injury post-intubation is an uncommon but significant complication.
• Injuries can occur with or without identifiable structural abnormalities.
• Complete resolution of symptoms is not achieved in many cases, indicating the severity and potential long-term impact.