title: A laryngoscopy-based classification system for perioperative abnormal vocal cord movement in thyroid surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A retrospective cohort study to develop a classification scheme for abnormal vocal cord movement (AVCM) before and after thyroid surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical and laryngoscopic data from patients who underwent partial or total thyroidectomy were analysed. AVCM was classified as mild (type I), moderate (type II) or severe (type III), according to laryngoscopic findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 1619 patients, of whom 39 had preoperative AVCM and 65 had postoperative AVCM. Recovery rates for preoperative, postoperative and total type I AVCM were higher than the corresponding type III AVCM. Recovery rates for total type II AVCM were higher than those for type III AVCM at 1, 3 and 6 months postoperatively. Asymptomatic patients had better recovery rates than symptomatic patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have developed a useful classification system for patients with AVCM after thyroidectomy. Pre- and postoperative laryngoscopy can identify asymptomatic AVCM and is essential to evaluate the extent of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury in these patients.
authors: Department of Thyroid Surgery, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Surgical Translational Medicine, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Jilin Province, Changchun, China.
authors: Jingwei
authors: J
authors: Xin
authors: Department of Thyroid Surgery, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Surgical Translational Medicine, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Jilin Province, Changchun, China.
authors: Xiaoli
authors: X
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Thyroid Surgery, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Surgical Translational Medicine, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Jilin Province, Changchun, China sunhui1229@163.com.
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Sun
authors: Department of Thyroid Surgery, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Surgical Translational Medicine, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Jilin Province, Changchun, China.
authors: Jingting
authors: J
authors: Li
authors: Department of Thyroid Surgery, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Surgical Translational Medicine, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Jilin Province, Changchun, China.
authors: Daqi
authors: D
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Thyroid Surgery, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Surgical Translational Medicine, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Jilin Province, Changchun, China.
authors: Yantao
authors: Y
authors: Fu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007828:Laryngoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D064706:Vocal Cord Dysfunction / Q000145:classification*; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000145:classification*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Thyroid surgery; laryngoscopy; recurrent laryngeal nerve injury