Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28815085›Full record

ArticleJournal of thoracic disease2017

Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer: incidence, management, and impact on short- and long-term outcomes.

Martijn G Scholtemeijer, Maarten F J Seesing, Hylke J F Brenkman, Luuk M Janssen, Richard van Hillegersberg, Jelle P Ruurda

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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of thoracic disease, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 52 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
52citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

52 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Martijn G ScholtemeijerDepartment of Surgical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Maarten F J SeesingDepartment of Surgical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Hylke J F BrenkmanDepartment of Surgical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Luuk M JanssenDepartment of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology, Cancer Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Richard van HillegersbergDepartment of Surgical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Jelle P RuurdaDepartment of Surgical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRecurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury caused by esophagectomy may lead to postoperative morbidity, however data on long-term recovery are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the consequences of RLN palsy (RLNP) in terms of pulmonary morbidity and long-term functional recovery.

methodsPatients who underwent a 3-stage transthoracic (McKeown) or a transhiatal esophagectomy for esophageal carcinoma in the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU) between January 2004 and March 2016 were included from a prospective database. Multivariable analyses were conducted to assess the association between RLNP and pulmonary complications and hospital stay. Data regarding long-term recovery were summarized using descriptive statistics.

resultsOut of the 451 included patients, 47 (10%) were diagnosed with RLNP. Of the patients with RLNP, 34 (7%) had a unilateral lesion, 8 (2%) had a bilateral lesion, and in 5 (1%) the location of the lesion was unknown. The incidence of RLNP was 3/127 (2%) in the transhiatal group, and 44/324 (14%) in the McKeown group. RLNP after McKeown esophagectomy was associated with a higher incidence of pulmonary complications (OR 2.391; 95% CI 1.222-4.679; P=0.011), as well as a longer hospital stay (+4 days) (P=0.001). Of the RLNP patients with more than 6 months follow up almost half recovered fully {median follow-up of 17.5 [7-135] months}. Of the remainder, six required a surgical intervention and the others had residual symptoms.

conclusionsRLNP after McKeown esophagectomy is associated with an increased pulmonary complication rate, longer hospital stay, and a moderate long-term recovery. Further studies are necessary that examine technologies, which may reduce RLNP incidence and contribute to the early detection and treatment of RLNP.

Indexed as

Esophagectomypneumoniarecurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN)RLN injuriesvocal cord paralysis

Identifiers

PMID28815085
PMCPMC5538987

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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.