NCT06002984

Effectiveness of Intraoperative Neuromonitoring of External Branch of Superior Laryngeal Nerve in Thyroid Surgery

Effectiveness of Intraoperative Neuromonitoring to Identify and Preserve External Branch of Superior Laryngeal Nerve During Thyroid Surgery

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 94 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Seoul National University Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 19 Years – 79 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The frequent occurrence of impaired function in the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerves following thyroid surgery is recognized as a prevalent complication leading to a diminished quality of life. The objective of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to assess the efficacy of neuromonitoring during thyroid surgery in order to safeguard the integrity of these nerves.

Detailed description

With increased interest in quality of life after thyroidectomy, preservation of proper vocal cord function and voice quality is an important issue in thyroid surgery. External branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (EBSLN) and recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) are crucial organs for innervation and integration of laryngeal muscular system. The EBSLN innervates the cricothyroid muscle (CTM), which is important in adjusting the tension and length of the vocal cords. Damage of the EBSLN leads to CTM dysfunction, resulting in difficulty with high pitch phonation and decreased pitch range and reduced voice projection, which are important for voice professionals. As the intraoperative neuromonitoring was utilized as an adjunctive and objective tool to confirm the nerve presence and integrity, application of the intraoperative neuromonitoring system to confirm EBSLN function pre- and post-dissection of the upper thyroid pole can be regarded as an effective method to preserve cricothyroid muscle function. However, it remains unclear whether there is any intraoperative neuromonitoring techniques-added value to the clinical outcome of thyroidectomy in terms of identification of EBSLN and preserved voice performance. Therefore, this study could provide strong evidence of the application of the intraoperative neuromonitoring during thyroid surgery to identify and preserve EBSLN function.

Conditions

• Laryngeal Nerve Injuries
• Thyroidectomy
• Voice Change

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Using Neuromonitoring to find EBSLN	intraoperative neuromonitoring to preserving external branch of superior laryngeal nerve during thyroid surgery

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-11-24
• Primary completion: 2026-12-31
• Completion: 2026-12-31
• First posted: 2023-08-21
• Last updated: 2025-06-12

Locations

1 site across 1 country: South Korea