title: [Anatomy of recurrent laryngeal nerve during thyroid surgery].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the anatomic characteristics of recurrent laryngeal nerve during thyroid surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of surgical data of 307 patients undertook thyroid surgery was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total 342 recurrent laryngeal nerves were identified during the surgery(184 on the right side, left 158). 215 (62.9%) nerves were deep to the inferior thyroid artery, 106(31.0%)were superficial to the artery, 21(7.5%) were between the arterial branches. A nerve bifurcation was found in 203(59.4%). None of nerve bifurcation was found in 136(39.8%). 3(0.9%)were confirmed to hold non-recurrent laryngeal nerves during operations. No patient showed permanent laryngeal recurrent nerve paralysis postoperatively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The careful dissection and protection of the recurrent laryngeal nerve was an effective method to prevent its injury during thyroid surgery.
authors.forename: Hung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Qingquan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Jianfei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sheng
mesh_terms: D001158:Arteries; D003389:Cranial Nerve Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004210:Dissection; D006801:Humans; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012009:Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis