Superior laryngeal nerve injury from thyroid surgery

Injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve is a well-recognized complication of thyroid surgery. Injury to the superior laryngeal nerve is less documented, perhaps due to the difficulty in recognizing its manifestations. This study was designed to document the incidence of injury to the superior laryngeal nerve in a series of patients who underwent thyroidectomy.

Twenty consecutive patients with thyroidectomy during a 9-month period underwent evaluation for superior laryngeal nerve injury 3 months postoperatively. Methods for evaluation included laryngeal videostroboscopy, laryngeal electromyography, and a subjective interview.

One patient (5%) was diagnosed with unilateral superior laryngeal nerve injury.

The risk of injury to the superior laryngeal nerve during thyroidectomy is significant, and the result may be devastating to those patients who rely on their voices professionally. Laryngeal videostroboscopy and electromyography may be necessary to diagnose superior laryngeal nerve injury.