Subjective voice assessment after thyroid surgery: a prospective study of 395 patients.
BACKGROUND
Total thyroidectomy has become a routine surgical procedure. However, postoperative complications are not rare and can lead to voice disorders.


OBJECTIVE
To study voice quality after total thyroidectomy.


METHODS
Prospective study over a period of 5 years in 395 surgical patients undergoing total thyroidectomy.


METHODS
The voice quality of patients was based on systematic preoperative and postoperative laryngeal and voice examination. Voice assessment was performed by means of a voice quality questionnaire and recovery time within 12 months postoperatively. Patients who had inferior laryngeal nerve palsy were excluded from the study.


RESULTS
Preoperative subjective voice disorders were found in 21% of patients and 49% had voice impairment after surgery. The recovery time was less than 1 month for one-half of the patients with impaired voices and 85% of the patients had recovered their voice after 5 months. At the 1-year postoperative examination, the permanent impaired voice rate was 1.26%.


CONCLUSIONS
Voice impairment is common after thyroidectomy but usually transient and less than 20% persist at 6 months. Patients must be informed about the risk of voice impairment after thyroid surgery. An objective voice assessment is desirable to monitor the presence and progress of voice disorders.
Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, Jules Verne University, Amiens, France. cyril.page@caramail.com
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D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007823:Laryngeal Nerves; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D014831:Voice; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology