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Transient left vocal cord paralysis during laparoscopic surgery for an oesophageal hiatus hernia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 August 2006

A. Kanski ,
E. Plocharska ,
E. Stanowski ,
T. Koziarski  and
A. Chmurzynska
A. Kanski
Affiliation:
Department of Anaesthesiology, Military School of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland
E. Plocharska
Affiliation:
Department of Anaesthesiology, Military School of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland
E. Stanowski
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, Military School of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland
T. Koziarski
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, Military School of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland
A. Chmurzynska
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Military School of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland
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Abstract

A 45-year-old male, with symptoms of many years standing of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, was subjected, under general anaesthesia, to laparoscopic fundoplication.Tracheal intubation yielded no problems but great difficulties were encountered during tube insertion into the oesophagus. After surgery, aphonia developed. Laryngological examination demonstrated paralysis of the left vocal cord. Voice strength returned to the pre-operative status after 3 months, and laryngological examination confirmed normal mobility of both cords. The possible cause of the complication was damage to the left recurrent laryngeal nerve which occurred during insertion of the tube into the oesophagus. Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease causing ‘acid laryngitis’ can create conditions favouring this type of complication.

Keywords

vocal cord paralysistracheal intubationoesophageal intubationlaparoscopic fundoplicationgastro-oesophageal reflux disease‘acid laryngitis’
Type
Case Report
Information
European Journal of Anaesthesiology , Volume 16 , Issue 7 , July 1999 , pp. 495 - 499
Copyright
1999 European Society of Anaesthesiology

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