The use of transcartilage (TC) intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) in a pediatric population has not been reported. This study evaluated the feasibility and the benefit of using TC-IONM for thyroid cancer surgery in a pediatric population. This retrospective single-center study enrolled 33 pediatric patients who had received an IONM-assisted thyroidectomy. Demographic characteristics, standardized IONM laryngeal examinations and stimulation information (L1-V1-R1-R2-V2-L2) were compared between endotracheal tube (ET) and TC methods. In the 15 cancer patients (30 nerves), TC-IONM provided significant higher electromyography (EMG) amplitude (p < 0.001), signal stability (lower V1/V2 signal correlation, r = 0.955 vs. r = 0.484, p = 0.004), signal quality (higher ratio of V1 or V2 amplitude <500µV, 0.0% vs. 43.8%, p = 0.005) and lower R1-R2p change (7.1% vs. 37.5%, p = 0.049) compared to ET-IONM. In the 18 benign patients (28 nerves), TC-IONM provided significantly higher EMG amplitude (p < 0.001), signal stability (r = 0.945 vs. r = 0.746, p = 0.0324) and non-significant higher signal quality and R1-R2p change. This report is the first to discuss the use of TC-IONM in pediatric thyroid surgery. In contrast with ET-IONM, TC-IONM had superior amplitude, stability and quality of EMG signals, which greatly facilitates the meticulous recurrent laryngeal nerve dissection in pediatric thyroidectomies. The TC-IONM method can be considered a feasible, effective and preferable method of monitored thyroidectomy in pediatric thyroid cancer.
Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate and define safety parameters for using the Ligasure exact dissector (LED) for dissection close to the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) during thyroidectomy.Methods: Real-time electrophysiologic electromyographic (EMG) tracings were recorded in 16 RLNs (8 piglets) during various applications of LED under continuous intraoperative monitoring in this prospective porcine model study. In the activation study, LED was activated at varying distances from the RLN. In the cooling study, LED was activated with different cooling times or after touching the sternocleidomastoid muscle before application to the RLN.Results: In the activation study, no adverse EMG events occurred at distances longer than 1 mm. In the cooling study, no adverse EMG events occurred after a 2-second cooling time. Additionally, no adverse EMG events occurred when a sternocleidomastoid muscle touch maneuver was used for cooling.
Conclusions:The LED can be safely used at distance of 1 mm or longer, and it should be cooled for at least 2 seconds or by muscle touch maneuver. Thyroid surgeons can avoid RLN injury if standard procedures for LED use are observed.
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