title: [Meta analysis of the real-time nerve monitoring in prevention of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury during thyroid surgery].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the advantages and disadvantages of real time recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) monitoring and conventional exposure during thyroid operation by Meta analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The published articles of randomized controlled clinical trials were searched in data bases to compare the therapeutic outcomes of using real-time RLN monitoring and conventional exposure in thyroid surgery. The quality of the searched original studies was assessed and the outcomes which are in line with the requirements were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six articles met the inclusion criteria, which contained 12,646 RLN in total. There were 5,535 cases in the RLN monitoring group and 7,111 cases in the conventional exposure group. The results of Meta analysis showed that: the transient injury rate of the RLN in the monitoring group (OR=0.60, 95% CI=0.49-0.73, P<0.01) was lower than that in the conventional exposure group, but the permanent injury rate of the RLN in two groups had no statistical difference (OR=0.90, 95 % CI= 0.57-1.40, P>0.05). The RLN identification rate also had no statistical difference between the two groups (OR=9.79, 95% CI=0.17-548. 64, P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The transient injury rate of the RLN is lower in the monitoring group than that in conventional exposure group, but the permanent injury rate and the RLN identification rate had no statistical difference between the two groups. The intraoperative nerve monitoring was useful in the prevention of the RLN injury in thyroid surgery.
authors.forename: Keliang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jinrang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative; D010280:Parathyroid Glands; D011788:Quality of Life; D012009:Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve; D061226:Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*