• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.108-113
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• 2016

Background and Objectives : After thyroidectomy, many patients experience problems report such things as reduced voice range and vocal fatigue, swallowing problems without superior and recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. The purpose of this study was to evaluate voice and swallowing problems before and after thyroid surgery without laryngeal nerve injury. Materials and Methods : Ninety-three patients who underwent thyroidectomy without laryngeal nerve injury and completed the follow-up evaluations were studied between June 2013 and December 2015. Each evaluation was performed preoperatively, as well as 1 week, 1 month postoperatively. Analysis was performed including voice handicap index (VHI), dysphagia handicap index (DHI), and acoustic voice analysis. Results : Patients show significant variation of parameters in the fundamental frequency (F), maximal phonation time (MPT), shimmer, jitter and soft phonation index (SPI) early after operation, and most of them showed recovery of parameters after 1month of operation. Perceptive complaint of voice and swallowing also showed significant decreased after operation (p<0.005). After 1month of operation, MPT, highest frequency and frequency ranges still showed significant decreased parameters. Comparing acoustic and perceptive parameters of total thyroidectomy and lobectomy, there was no significant changes between them except highest frequency (p=0.042). Conclusion : The results from both subjective and objective evaluations show voice and swallowing disturbance after thyroidectomy even in the absence of laryngeal nerve and provide patients information about the recovery process after surgery. Highest frequency parameter showed most significant changes after operation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.139-141
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• 2019

The causes of vocal cord paralysis include iatrogenic injury during thyroid or cervical surgery, heart and chest surgery, and tumorous lesion such as laryngeal cancer and lung cancer. In addition to these common causes, rarely, cardiovascular disease can also cause vocal fold paralysis. A disease known as Cardiovocal syndrome, or Ortner's syndrome, causes left vocal fold paralysis when the left recurrent laryngeal nerve is compressed by the pulmonary artery and aorta, which is occurred by pulmonary hypertension from heart disease. We report for the first case in Korea the diagnosis of vocal fold paralysis caused by Ortner's syndrome.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.71-73
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• 2017

Dysplastic epiglottis is extremely rare congenital malformation, which usually occurs in association with other laryngeal anomalies. Hypoplasia is the most common type in epiglottic malfomations. Other abnormalities include rudimentary, aplasia and bifid etc. Mostly, they are found in infancy and early childhood, and diagnosis at adulthood is extremely rare. A 69-year-old man with chronic cough and globus sense visited our clinic. Laryngoscopic findings revealed a unique form of epiglottis. He had no history of laryngeal trauma, tumors, head and neck surgery, and radiation. There was no another anomaly in the laryngo-pharynx. Because of a mass-like lesion at the apex of epiglottis, we performed the laryngeal microsurgery. The pathology revealed as granulation tissue. We report a rare and unique case of dysplastic epiglottis in elderly patient with a brief literature review.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.98-105
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• 1991

There have been reports concerning the association of laryngeal carcinoma and lung cancer. Second primary respiratory tract malignancies occur frequently in patients who have undergone the treatment of laryngeal cancer probably because they are exposed to the same carcinogen. Recently, we have experienced two patients who developed second primary lung cancer 30 and 41 months after the first diagnosis of laryngeal cancer at the Department of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine. Relative long interval between the two carcinomas indicated metastasis unlikely. From a therapeutic standpoint, it is of great importance that they should be regarded as separate primaries and not as metastasis. Longevity will depends on a presumption that the lesions are separate primaries and the status of stage at the time of detection of second primary lesion. The follow-up of patients who are seen with carcinomas of the head and neck should be done at regular interval and include a chest roentgenogram and cytologic examination of sputum to detect early changes before the tumors becomes incurable. The first 76 year old patient with left upper lobectomy due to the T2N0M0 lung cancer has been in good condition to present. But the second 55 year old patient with right pneumonectomy due to the T2N0M0 lung cancer died of respiratory failure and septic pneumonia 3 months after operation and chemotherapy.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2020

In unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) patients, we try to improve their symptoms such as hoarseness or aspiration by restoring nerve functions or medialization laryngoplasty (ML), etc. Until now, ML (thyroplasty and/or arytenoid adduction) is considered as gold standard of treatment for UVFP. However, if recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) is damaged and use of RLN is feasible during operation, laryngeal reinnervation (LR) would be a good option. Anastomosis with ansa cervicalis to RLN is most common reinnervation method. Delayed LR may be considered in young patients when the RLN denervation period is not long (less than 2 years) for the treatment of surgery-related UVFP. Injection laryngoplasty and laryngeal framework surgery showed great voice outcomes in UVFP. Combination therapy (neuromuscular pedicle innervation with ML) also showed good post-operative voice outcomes even in longer periods (over 2 years). In pediatric patients, LR would be considered as a good treatment option because all procedures need to general anesthesia.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.128-132
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• 2004

Objectives : The total laryngectomy for laryngeal cancer has made patients be afraid of voice loss. Early staged glottic or supraglottic cancer can be treated with conservative laryngeal surgery which preserve voice, though which was not normal voice comparing before. Voice analysis is used to evaluates objectively the quality of the voice in pre- and postoperation, 4 different types of conservative laryngeal surgery : laser cordectomy, supracticoid partial laryngectomy, vertical partial laryngectomy, and supralottic laryngectomy. Materials and Methods : The patients who received conservative laryngeal surgery(laser cordectomy : 23 cases, vertical partial laryngecotmy : 9cases, supracriocoid partial laryngectomy : 6cases, supraglottic laryngectomy : 8cases) from 1995 to 2001 in the Asan medical center. Fundamental frequency(F0), shimmer, jitter, noise to harmony ratio(NHR), maximum comfortable phonation time and subglottic pressure were used as parameters for voice analysis. Results : The patients who received laser cordectomy(shimmer : 5.26${\pm}$1.12%, jitter : 3.33${\pm}$0.42%, NHR : 0.47${\pm}$0.02, MPT : 9.32${\pm}$3.59sec) and supraglottic laryngectomy(shimmer : 4.39${\pm}$1.03%, jitter : 1.49${\pm}$0.14%, NHR : 0.51${\pm}$0.06, MPT : 8.9${\pm}$0.59sec) showed better results than other two procedures, but differed from normal value. Especially the patients who received supracricoid partial laryngectomy(shimmer : 9.23${\pm}$1.56%, jitter : 5.81${\pm}$1.23%, NHR : 5.89${\pm}$1.13, MPT : 6.3${\pm}$1.18sec, MFR : 632${\pm}$89ml/sec) had poorer quality of voice but presented fast functional recovery time, and the subjective symptom was improved as time goes by slowly. Conclusion : The appropriate conservative laryngeal surgery for each cancers and stage can preserve the acceptable voice for patients. Supracricoid partial laryngectomy for T1b glottic cancer can be used for acceptable voice despite its poor voice analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 2015

Background and Objectives:The Voice Handicap Index (VHI) evaluates the patients perception of impact of voice disorder in term of functional, physical, emotional factors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the change of patient's subjective voice handicap index before and after laryngeal microsurgery for benign vocal cord lesions. Materials and Methods:We analyzed 55 patients who received laryngeal microsurgery for benign vocal cord disease from January 2011 to February 2013 retrospectively. There were 50 vocal nodules, 3 vocal polyps, 2 vocal cysts. VHI were analyzed before surgery and 3 months after surgery. Results:The VHI scores showed statistically significant reductions postoperatively in functional and emotional VHI (p=0.01 and p=0.034). Also, Emotional VHI score after microsurgery was higher in female than male [adjusted odd ratio (AOR)=0.292 ; 95% confidence interval, CI=0.098-0.869, p=0.01]. Conclusion:In other words, males experience significant more emotional effects that are improved after microscopic surgery.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.183-192
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• 1993

This study reports a prospective analysis of anatomical variations of recurrent laryngeal nerves during 300 thyroidectomies. During thyroidectomies for variable thyroid diseases. the course of recurrent laryngeal nerve was completely isolated from root of neck to the inferior comus of thyroid cartilage. In left side, nerve(53.7%) predominantly ran posterior to the inferior thyroidal artery(p<0.05) but in right side there was no predominant pattern. There were three nonrecurrent laryngeal nerves in the right side. About half of the cases in both sides(51.2% in right, 50.5% in left side) had one or more branches before terminating at cricothyroidal muscles. The average length of branches from inferior comus of thyroid cartilage to the origination of individual branch were l2.0mm in right side and 13.3mm in left side. In right side, majority(50.7%) of nerves ran though paratracheal space but difference did not reach the statistical but in left side, majority(88.3%) ran through tracheoesophageal groove and it was the dominant pattern(p<0.01), the overall status of passages of the nerve were relatively straight in left side(straight 87.8%, oblique 52.1%).

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.69-74
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• 1995

The anatomic course of recurrent laryngeal nerve, its branch and its function were most significant for laryngeal, thyroid and tracheoesophageal surgery. Furthermore, the vocal cord palsy resulting from multi-etiology was serious complication and resulted in affecting the life quality. So, for the prevention of this complication, the concepts and knowledge about anatomic course and variants are very important. At now, most of anatomic courses and it's function has been identified precisely. But recently, the report about the anastomotic loops of both recurrent laryngeal nerve was published. In this study, we explored three cadevors for identifying the reality of the anastomotic loops between recurrent laryngeal nerves. Finally, we identified the cervicomediastinal anastomosis at tracheoesophageal groove in 2 of 3 cadevors that was confirmed by pathologic finding. This anatomic reliefs related to it's branch are extremely interest, although research is still in its initial phase. Our study will be extended toward histomorphometrical study and progressive electrophysiologic study, and we will be able io gather the largest amount of useful data regarding any possible use of this anatomic entity in future.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.108-111
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• 2011

Epiglottic cysts cause stridor mimicking asthma and hinder intubation in surgery. A huge cyst can obstruct the airway, making laryngeal examinations impossible. Before surgery, complete visualization of the larynx is necessary for the successful excision of a cyst. If laryngeal examination fails, computed tomography (CT) scanning can provide detailed information. Virtual endoscopy based on CT data reconstruction can yield a detailed three-dimensional image of the larynx. Here, we report two cases of epiglottic cysts along with virtual endoscopic findings and surgical photographs.