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Successful emergency Lichtenberger lateralisation for immediate bilateral laryngeal immobility after total thyroidectomy: a CARE case report

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 April 2023

S Stevanović ,
M Knežević ,
M Obraz  and
A Košec Open the ORCID record for A Košec [Opens in a new window]
S Stevanović
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Center Sestre Milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia
M Knežević
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Center Sestre Milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia
M Obraz
Affiliation:
Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, University Hospital Center Sestre Milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia
A Košec*
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Center Sestre Milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
*
Corresponding author: Mr Andro Košec; Email: andro.kosec@yahoo.com
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Abstract

Objective

This case report discusses a successful emergency Lichtenberger lateralisation procedure after immediate bilateral laryngeal immobility, occurring after total thyroidectomy.

Methods

A 63-year-old female with right-sided vocal fold paralysis due to compression by a multinodular thyroid goitre underwent total thyroidectomy, which resulted in immediate post-operative bilateral vocal fold immobility. The patient had acute-onset post-operative dyspnoea, was promptly re-intubated, and an emergency lateralisation Lichtenberger suture was placed over the right vocal fold and fixated on the outer surface of the neck.

Results

After two weeks, her right vocal fold recovered first, with the suture still in place. At four weeks, both vocal folds regained function and the suture was extracted.

Conclusion

The take-away message is that an emergency lateralisation suture may be a viable option in maintaining airway patency, while allowing for normal deglutition, in patients who would otherwise be candidates for prolonged intubation, posterior cordotomy, medial arytenoidectomy or tracheostomy.

Keywords

Vocal cordthyroidectomycase reportscomplicationsparalysis
Type
Clinical Records
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 137 , Issue 12 , December 2023 , pp. 1413 - 1415
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of J.L.O. (1984) LIMITED

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Footnotes

Mr A Košec takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

References

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