Facial nerve monitoring in parotid gland surgery:Design and feasibility assessment of a potential standardized technique

Background:Even though the use of nerve monitoring during parotid gland surgery is not the gold standard to prevent damage to the nerve,it surely offers some advantages over the traditional approach.Different from thyroid surgery,where a series of steps in intraoperative nerve monitoring have been described to confirm not only the integrity but—most importantly—the function of the recurrent laryngeal nerve,in parotid gland surgery,a formal guideline to follow while dissecting the facial nerve has yet to be described.Methods:A five‐year retrospective study was done reviewing the intraoperative records of patients who underwent parotid gland surgery under neural monitoring.The operative findings regarding the neuromonitoring process,particularly in regard to the amplitude of two main branches,were revised.A literature search was done to search for guidelines to follow when a facial nerve loss of signal is encountered.Results:Fifty‐five patients were operated on using the Nim 3 Nerve Monitoring System(Medtronic);31 were female patients,and 47 patients had benign lesions.Minimum changes were observed in the amplitude records after a comparison was made between the first and the last stimulation.There were only three articles discussing the term loss of signal during parotid gland surgery.Conclusion:Today,no sufficient attention has been given to the facial nerve monitoring process during parotidectomy.This study proposes a formal guideline to follow during this procedure as well as an instruction to consider when a loss of signal is observed to develop a uniform technique of facial nerve stimulation.

Intraoperative monitoring of the recurrent laryngeal nerve in surgeries for thyroid cancer: a review

Intraoperative nerve monitoring(IONM)has evolved into an objective tool not only for the identification but also for the preservation and prognostication of function of the recurrent laryngeal nerve in thyroid surgeries.Technical improvements have resulted in the increasing incorporation of IONM into operating rooms around the world.The importance of adherence to recommended standards is also recognized as being vital in optimizing the efficacy of IONM.The advent of continuous IONM has made real-time nerve monitoring possible,thus providing the surgeon with an ally in difficult surgeries.Additionally,as thyroid surgeries are evolving into remote access and minimally invasive procedures,so also is the applicability of IONM.This review focuses on the use of IONM for nerve monitoring in thyroidectomies for neoplastic conditions while discussing the rationale,technique,and interpretation of findings and their implications.

Completion thyroidectomy:is timing important for transcervical and remote access approaches?

Completion thyroidectomy(CT)is employed after lobectomy when histopathological results mandates total removal of the gland as in case of well differentiated thyroid carcinoma(DTC).It is also employed as a second stage thyroid surgery when unfavorable events occur as in recurrent laryngeal nerve injury or when the surgeon finds out the case is beyond his/her expertise in an attempt to protect the contralateral side and allowing time for recovery or for an expert surgeon to help.