Int J Thyroidol.  2021 Nov;14(2):112-116. 10.11106/ijt.2021.14.2.112.

Neck Discomfort after Thyroidectomy

• Kim B
• Park JH

• KMID: 2522915
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.11106/ijt.2021.14.2.112

Abstract

Thyroid and parathyroid surgery is commonly performed for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes for benign tumors as well as malignant tumors. Vocal cord paralysis and hypoparathyroidism are known as major complications. However, majority of patients experience neck pain or discomfort after surgery without any significant cause. Recent studies have reported various and ambiguous symptoms group after thyroidectomy as post-thyroid syndrome. There is still controversy over the etiology of post-thyroidectomy syndrome, however the assumable causes identified so far are damage to the laryngeal mucosa caused by tracheal intubation, disturbances of blood circulation of larynx, synechia of strap muscles, limited vertical motion of laryngeal skeleton, fibrosis during healing process of extrinsic laryngeal muscles. This is the systematic review of the post-thyroidectomy symptoms by cause.

Keyword

Thyroidectomy; Neck pain; Laryngeal muscles; Vocal cords

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Neck stretching exercise and massage after thyroidectomy. The procedures are as follows: (A) Relaxing shoulders and neck, (B) turning down the head, (C) turning head from side to side, (D) inclining head from side to side, (E) turning shoulders in a circle, (F) raising hands fully then lowering them, (G) circular and vertical massage on the middle of the neck covering larynx.

Reference

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