title: [The significance of recurrent nerve paresis for the operability of lung cancer].
abstract: The object of the study was a reassessment of the old but still widely accepted apophthegm that recurrent nerve palsy prohibits surgery in patients with pulmonary cancer. Out of 1,279 patients admitted over a 10-year period with proven or suspected pulmonary cancer, 23 were found to have recurrent nerve paralysis. Eleven of these were found inoperable by the preoperative work-up while 12 underwent thoracotomy. In three cases it was possible to perform a left upper lobectomy, which was considered to be radical both macro- and microscopically in two cases. The conclusion is that paralysis of the recurrent nerve, as might be foreseen, gravely worsens the prognosis, inverting the usual ratio of 80:20 between resections and exploratory thoracotomies. This, however, leaves a small group which will benefit from surgery, particularly considering the lack of alternative therapy.
authors.affiliation: Thoraxkirurgisk afdeling R. Københavns Amts Sygehus i Gentofte.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buchwald
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Halkier
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Walther-Larsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010243:Paralysis / Q000150:complications*; D011379:Prognosis; D012009:Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve