ReviewGland surgery2015
Is there a case for selective, rather than routine, preoperative laryngoscopy in thyroid surgery?
Review in Gland surgery, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- The 2024 revised clinical guidelines on the management of thyroid tumors by the Japan Association of Endocrine Surgery.Endocrine journal · 2025Guideline
- Mapping complications in thyroid surgery: statistical data are useful for medico-legal management of a recurrent safety issue.Updates in surgery · 2022Article
- Development and validation of the nomogram for predicting preoperative vocal cord palsy in thyroid cancer patients.Gland surgery · 2021Article
- Evaluation of Vocal Cord Function Before Thyroidectomy: Experience from a Developing Country.The Indian journal of surgery · 2018Article
- Flexible Laryngoscopy Findings in Patients Undergoing Thyroidectomy in North-Central Nigeria.Journal of the West African College of SurgeonsArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAccording to some authors, routine preoperative laryngoscopy should be the standard of care in all patients undergoing thyroid surgery. The rationale for this approach is (I) the risk that a patient has a preoperative vocal cord palsy (VCP) without symptoms; (II) the presence of VCP preoperatively is suggestive of invasive malignancy; (III) it is relevant for the use of intraoperative nerve monitoring; and (IV) surgical strategy may be better defined if a paralysed vocal cord is detected preoperatively.
methodsThis is a review of studies of patients who underwent routine preoperative laryngoscopy to anticipate preoperative VCP and that evaluated related risk factors, including previous surgery, voice function complaints, and a diagnosis of malignancy. The estimated risk of sustaining preoperative VCF in the absence of these factors was determined. The relevant current guidelines from different professional bodies are also addressed.
resultsThe level of evidence that supports routine preoperative laryngoscopy is weak. The risk of harboring preoperative VCP in the absence of previous neck or other risk-related surgery, advanced malignancy or voice symptoms is very low (0.5% of cases).
conclusionsSelective rather than routine use of preoperative laryngoscopy may be acceptable provided that the risk of undetected paralysis is as low as can be reasonably ascertained from the available literature.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.