title: Vocal cord paralysis following orthognathic surgery intubation.
abstract: The incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis following short-term oro-endotracheal intubation for any surgical procedure is very rare. The diagnosis becomes very difficult if the surgical procedure may alter the vocal characteristics following surgery. We report a case of a 24 year-old healthy male patient who developed prolonged hoarseness which developed after having undergone a bimaxillary orthognathic surgical procedure. Following surgery, the patient's complaints of hoarseness and mild coughing on taking thin liquids were investigated with the assistance of the otolarynology voice department. A flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy and videostroboscopy showed a partial paralysis of the left vocal cord suggesting damage to the left recurrent laryngeal nerve. The recovery was gradual and resolved without any intervention in approximately 6 weeks. Prolonged change or loss of voice quality following an orthognathic surgical procedure, as discussed in this case, when associated with difficulty in swallowing thin or thick liquids warrants a thorough investigation and can be managed at times with observation alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, K D Dental College and Hospital, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fauzdar
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kraus
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Papageorge
keywords: Oro-endotracheal intubation; orthognathic surgery; prolonged hoarseness; recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis