2018 Section 6 - Laryngology, Voice Disorders, and Bronchoesophalogy

Chandrasekhar et al

and that will continue to grow. 17 Total (or bilateral) thyroidec- tomy puts twice the number of SLNs and RLNs at risk. This clinical practice guideline (CPG) seeks to provide guidance to minimize post-thyroidectomy voice impairment in the setting of the increasing number and extensiveness of thyroidecto- mies being performed by diversely trained and experienced surgeons. This document is intended for all clinicians who diagnose or manage adult patients with thyroid disease for whom sur- gery is indicated, contemplated, or has been performed. Key terms used in this guideline are as follows: • • Thyroidectomy is defined as a surgical procedure per- formed to partially or completely remove the thyroid gland. This term may include total thyroidectomy or partial thyroidectomy, which includes subtotal thy- roidectomy and hemithyroidectomy. • • Voice outcomes include the patients’ own perceptions of their vocal quality, the perceptions of others, and objective voice-related measurements. • • Vocal folds , also known as the vocal cords, are twin infoldings of mucous membrane covering the upper surface of each vocalis (or thyroarytenoid) muscle, which extend from the midline, anterior attach- ment to the thyroid cartilage projecting posteriorly to the vocal process of the arytenoid cartilage. 18 The vocal folds vibrate, modulating the flow of air being expelled from the lungs during phonation. They con- sist of epithelium and lamina propria overlying the vocalis muscle. • • Vocal fold mobility disorders as used in this docu- ment include paresis or hypomobility , which are syn- onymous with vocal fold weakness, and paralysis , which is immobility of the fold. • • Voice impairment can range from aphonia, which is absence of phonation, to dysphonia, which could include persistent or intermittent breathiness, hoarse- ness, reduced volume, vocal fatigue, and/or pitch change. Although thyroidectomy procedures may be performed in all age groups, this guideline is limited to adults (aged 18 and older). In a review of AHRQ’s Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) data from 2003-2004, the majority of adult patients (78.8%) under- going thyroid surgery were between 18 and 64 years old, 17.9% were between ages 65 and 79 years, and 3.3% were 80 years old or older. 19 Purpose As defined by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), CPGs are “statements that include recommendations intended to optimize patient care that are informed by a systematic review of evi- dence and an assessment of the benefits and harms of alterna- tive care options.” They are based on a thorough review of the best evidence available at the time of writing, as evaluated by a

multidisciplinary panel with representation by as many stake- holders as possible. CPGs are intended to enhance clinician and patient decision making by collating current best evidence into an explicit and transparent action plan. 20 The purpose of this guideline is to optimize voice outcomes for adult patients aged 18 years or older after thyroid surgery. The target audience is any clinician involved in managing such patients, which includes but may not be limited to otolar- yngologists, general surgeons, endocrinologists, internists, speech-language pathologists, family physicians and other primary care providers, anesthesiologists, nurses, and others who manage patients with thyroid/voice issues. The guideline applies to any setting in which clinicians may interact with patients before, during, or after thyroid surgery. Children under age 18 years are specifically excluded from the target population; however, the panel understands that many of the findings may be applicable to this population. Also excluded are patients undergoing concurrent laryngectomy. Although this guideline is limited to thyroidectomy, some of the recom- mendations may extrapolate to parathyroidectomy as well. Actions considered by the Guideline Development Group (GDG) were broadly classified into laryngeal examination, voice assessment, nerve management, and interventions. A full list of issues discussed when planning the scope of the guideline is shown in Table 1 , but not all of these were included in the final document. The group agreed that voice outcomes could potentially be improved: 1. preoperatively , with examination of the larynx, baseline preoperative voice assessment, and appro- priate counseling and education for realistic expec- tations; 2. intraoperatively , with targeted communication among the members of surgical team, proper anesthetic preparation including avoidance of laryngeal trauma during intubation and avoidance of paralytic agents where indicated, surgical techniques geared to opti- mize voice outcomes by preventing injury as well as by recognizing and managing injury, use of adjuvant medications during surgery, and defining a role for intraoperative nerve monitoring; and 3. postoperatively , with baseline postoperative laryn- geal examination and voice assessment, setting expectations for recovery, knowing when and to whom to refer, and discussion of options for reha- bilitation of voice impairment. This guideline is intended to focus on quality improvement opportunities judged most important by the GDG. It is not intended to be a comprehensive guide for managing patients undergoing thyroid surgery. In this context, the purpose is to define useful actions for clinicians, regardless of discipline, to improve quality of care and voice outcomes. Conversely, the statements in this guideline are not intended to limit or restrict care provided by clinicians based on the assessment of indi- vidual patients.

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