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The ima approach for the quick identification of the right recurrent laryngeal nerve in thyroid cancer surgery

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Abstract

Background

The right recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) is more difficult to identify than the left RLN. The superior, lateral and inferior approaches are currently used to identify the RLN. This report presents a new technique, called the ima approach (the most inferior approach) for the quick identification of the right RLN.

Methods

The ima approach involves dissection along the right common carotid artery and division of the most lateral branch of the inferior thyroid veins. The right RLN is identified at the bottom of the RLN triangle. This technique and the conventional inferior approach were applied to 81 and 19 patients with thyroid cancer, respectively.

Results

The ima approach required a significantly shorter time in identifying the nerve than the inferior approach (9.6 ± 16.6 and 31.2 ± 24.4 s, respectively, p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

The ima approach is an easy, quick and safe technique for identifying the right RLN.

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References

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Acknowledgments

We thank Miss Miwa Miyauchi for her valuable assistance in preparing the manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflict to declare. We did not receive any outside support for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Kuma Hospital, 8-2-35 Shimoyamate-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0011, Japan

    Akira Miyauchi, Hiroo Masuoka, Tomonori Yabuta, Mitsuhiro Fukushima, Minoru Kihara, Takuya Higashiyama, Yuuki Takamura, Yasuhiro Ito, Kaoru Kobayashi & Akihiro Miya

Authors
  1. Akira Miyauchi
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  2. Hiroo Masuoka
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  3. Tomonori Yabuta
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  4. Mitsuhiro Fukushima
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  5. Minoru Kihara
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  6. Takuya Higashiyama
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  7. Yuuki Takamura
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  8. Yasuhiro Ito
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  9. Kaoru Kobayashi
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  10. Akihiro Miya
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Akira Miyauchi.

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Miyauchi, A., Masuoka, H., Yabuta, T. et al. The ima approach for the quick identification of the right recurrent laryngeal nerve in thyroid cancer surgery. Surg Today 43, 225–228 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-012-0236-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-012-0236-3

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