N 6 (197) 2025. P. 51–54

EXPERIENCE OF USING INTRAOPERATIVE NEUROMONITORING IN THYROID SURGERY

Odesa National Medical University, Odesa, Ukraine

DOI 10.32782/2226-2008-2025-6-7

Introduction. Intraoperative injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) remains a significant complication of thyroid surgery, potentially leading to voice disorders and reduced quality of life. Visual identification of the RLN is considered the gold standard, though its limitations in complex cases have prompted the use of intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM). Despite international endorsement, IONM remains underutilized in Ukraine.

Objective – to evaluate the initial experience and clinical feasibility of IONM during thyroid surgeries at Odesa National Medical University, and its potential benefits for surgical outcomes and nerve preservation.

Materials and Methods. A prospective randomized cohort study was conducted from 2020 to 2023, including 74 patients undergoing thyroidectomy. Nineteen patients were operated on using IONM (main group), and 55 without it (control group). The ASA classification was used to assess perioperative risk. Voice-related quality of life was measured using the V-RQOL questionnaire at baseline and up to 12 months postoperatively. Nerve identification, postoperative vocal cord paresis, and quality-of-life scores were statistically analyzed.

Results. Bilateral RLN identification was achieved in 89.5% of the IONM group versus 47.3% in the control group. Vocal cord paresis occurred in 10.5% of IONM cases and 29.1% without IONM, though the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.10). Most cases were transient. By 12 months, quality-of-life scores showed no significant difference between groups. However, IONM proved most useful in reoperations and inflammatory thyroid disease.

Conclusions. IONM improves RLN visualization and functional assessment during thyroid surgery, reducing nerve injury risk and enhancing surgical safety, particularly in high-risk cases. These findings support broader implementation of IONM in Ukrainian surgical practice.

Key words: neuromonitoring, thyroid surgery, quality of life, surgical results, endocrine surgery.

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