title: Indications for Direct Laryngoscopic Examination of Vocal Cord Function Prior to Anterior Cervical Surgery.
abstract: Recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (RLNP) is among the most common complications in both thyroid surgeries and anterior approaches to the cervical spine, having both a diverse etiology and presentation. Most bilateral paresis, with subsequent devastating impact on patients, are due to failure to recognize unilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis and, although rare, are entirely preventable with appropriate history and screening. Recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy has been shown to present asymptomatically in as high as 32% of cases, which yields limitations on exclusively screening with physical examination. Based on the available literature, diagnosis of unilateral RLNP is the critical factor in preventing the occurrence of bilateral RLNP as the surgeon may elect to operate on the injured side to prevent bilateral paresis. Analysis of incidence rates shows postoperative development of unilateral RLNP is 13.1 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.1-28.1) and 13.90 (95% CI: 6.6-29.3) times more likely in anterior spine and thyroid surgery, respectively, in comparison with intubation. Currently, there is no consensus on when to order a preoperative laryngoscopic examination prior to anterior cervical spine surgery. The importance of patient history should be emphasized, as it is the basis for indications of preoperative laryngoscopy. Efforts to minimize postoperative complications must be made, especially when considering the rising rate of cervical fusion. This study presents a systematic review of the literature defining key causes of RLNP, with a probability-based protocol to indicate direct laryngoscopy prior to anterior cervical surgery as a screening tool in the prevention of bilateral RLNP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, Roanoke, VA, USA; Musculoskeletal Education & Research Center (MERC), Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Anirudh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gowd
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, Roanoke, VA, USA; Musculoskeletal Education & Research Center (MERC), Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nazemi
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, Roanoke, VA, USA; Musculoskeletal Education & Research Center (MERC), Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carmouche
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY, USA; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Todd
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, Roanoke, VA, USA; Musculoskeletal Education & Research Center (MERC), Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Caleb
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Behrend
keywords: anterior cervical spine surgery; complications; direct laryngoscopy; etiology; incidence; recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy