AUTHOR=Wang Jia Joanna , Huang Tzu-Yen , Wu Che-Wei , Lin Yi-Chu , Tseng Hsin-Yi , Liu Cheng-Hsin , Lu I-Cheng , Chang Pi-Ying , Chen Hui-Chun , Chen Hsiu-Ya , Dionigi Gianlorenzo , Chiang Feng-Yu , Wang Ling-Feng TITLE=Improving Voice Outcomes After Thyroid Surgery – Review of Safety Parameters for Using Energy-Based Devices Near the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology VOLUME=12 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2021.793431 DOI=10.3389/fendo.2021.793431 ISSN=1664-2392 ABSTRACT=

Technological advances in thyroid surgery have rapidly increased in recent decades. Specifically, recently developed energy-based devices (EBDs) enable simultaneous dissection and sealing tissue. EBDs have many advantages in thyroid surgery, such as reduced blood loss, lower rate of post-operative hypocalcemia, and shorter operation time. However, the rate of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury during EBD use has shown statistically inconsistent. EBDs generate high temperature that can cause iatrogenic thermal injury to the RLN by direct or indirect thermal spread. This article reviews relevant medical literatures of conventional electrocauteries and different mechanisms of current EBDs, and compares two safety parameters: safe distance and cooling time. In general, conventional electrocautery generates higher temperature and wider thermal spread range, but when applying EBDs near the RLN adequate activation distance and cooling time are still required to avoid inadvertent thermal injury. To improve voice outcomes in the quality-of-life era, surgeons should observe safety parameters and follow the standard procedures when using EBDs near the RLN in thyroid surgery