Anatomic Characteristics, Identification, and Protection of the Nonrecurrent Laryngeal Nerve during Thyroidectomy:

ObjectiveWe aimed to investigate the anatomical features and variation pattern of the nonrecurrent laryngeal nerve (NRLN), summarize the methods for identifying the NRLN before and during thyroidectomy, and share experiences regarding preventing and treating its injury.Study DesignRetrospective case data analysis.SettingFirst Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University.Subjects and MethodsBetween January 2002 and May 2016, 7392 patients underwent thyroidectomy in our hospital. Of them, 28 patients with NRLN were identified, and their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed.ResultsThis study included 7392 patients in which the recurrent laryngeal nerves (RLNs) were routinely identified during surgery. The presence of NRLN was intraoperatively confirmed in 28 patients. All the NRLNs were located on the right side and its overall incidence was 0.37%. Five of the NRLNs were classified as type I, 19 as type IIa, and 4 as type IIb. Of the 28 cases, 4 NRLNs were injured during surgery, in which primary ...