title: [The significance of anastomosing the recurrent laryngeal nerve in the thyroidectomy].
abstract: To study the significance of exposure of the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN ) in thyroid gland surgery.
  
  
  
  Three hundred and thirty-two thyroidectomy cases were studied from January 2008 to June 2011. All patients had general anesthesia, and RLN were exposed during operation. One hundred and thirty-one cases were operated with total lobectomies, 138 cases with subtotal thyroidectomy, 51 cases with total lobectomies and contralateral subtotal thyroidectomy, 12 cases with total thyroidectomy.
  
  
  
  Five hundred and thirty-three RLNs were exposed, 4 cases came with hoarseness postoperatively, All cases recovered within 3 months.
  
  
  
  Exposure the recurrent laryngeal nerve in the thyroidectomy was available and could protect RLN.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Lihuili Hospital of Medical Centre, Ningbo, 315041, China. zhangjianent@126.com
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Juqin
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhenhua
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Lixin
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Zhisen
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006685:Hoarseness / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012009:Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult