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International Journal of Surgery... Jul 2023Thyroid disease is a common endocrine disorder, and thyroid surgeries and postoperative complications have increased recently. This study aimed to explore the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Thyroid disease is a common endocrine disorder, and thyroid surgeries and postoperative complications have increased recently. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of intraoperative nerve monitoring (IONM) in endoscopic thyroid surgery using subgroup analysis and determine confounding factors.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Two researchers individually searched for relevant studies published till November 2022 in the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases. Eventually, eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Heterogeneity was assessed using the Cochran's Q test, and a funnel plot was implemented to evaluate publication bias. The odds ratio or risk difference were calculated using fixed-effects models. The weighted mean difference of continuous variables was calculated. Subgroup analysis was performed according to the disease type.
RESULTS
Eight eligible papers included 915 patients and 1242 exposed nerves. The frequencies of transient, permanent and total recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy were 2.64, 0.19 and 2.83%, respectively, in the IONM group and 6.15, 0.75 and 6.90%, respectively, in the conventional exposure group. In addition, analysis of the secondary outcome indicators for the average total length of surgery, localisation time of the RLN, recognition rate of the superior laryngeal nerve and length of incision revealed that IONM reduced the localisation time of the RLN and increased the identification rate of the superior laryngeal nerve. Subgroup analysis showed that IONM significantly reduced the incidence of RLN palsy in patients with malignancies.
CONCLUSIONS
The use of IONM significantly reduced the incidence of transient RLN palsy during endoscopic thyroid surgery, but it did not significantly reduce the incidence of permanent RLN palsy. However, the reduction in the total RLN palsy was statistically significant. In addition, IONM can effectively reduce the location time of the RLN and increase the recognition rate of the superior laryngeal nerve. Therefore, the application of IONM for malignant tumours is recommended.
Topics: Humans; Thyroid Gland; Thyroidectomy; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve; Monitoring, Intraoperative; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injuries; Vocal Cord Paralysis
PubMed: 37318897
DOI: 10.1097/JS9.0000000000000393 -
European Archives of... Nov 2020An adult with vocal fold nodules can suffer from hoarseness, breathiness and vocal fatigue, which, in turn, significantly affects their vocal participation as well as... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE
An adult with vocal fold nodules can suffer from hoarseness, breathiness and vocal fatigue, which, in turn, significantly affects their vocal participation as well as activities. A well-designed voice therapy program improves the quality of life and vocal functionality. This is a narrative review with a systematic search of the current literature about the effectiveness of voice therapy interventions in adults with vocal fold nodules.
METHODS
Several key terms were used for the database electronic search of articles. Strict inclusion criteria were used and a broad evaluation of the studies was performed. This included the level of evidence based on the National Health and Medical Research Council levels of evidence, assessment, and critical appraisal.
RESULTS
Nine out of 30 reviewed articles met the criteria of inclusion and reported positive effects of voice therapy intervention on adult patients with vocal fold nodules. The vast majority of the reviewed studies reported multidimensional voice measures outcome data, most of them containing visual-perceptual, auditory-perceptual, acoustic and self-assessment results. Regardless of receiving direct or indirect or a combination of both voice therapy contents, nearly all voice quality parameters were found to improve after treatment. Short-term treatment (< 3 weeks) may be as beneficial as longer traditional voice therapy programs, and using telepractice voice therapy may be an achievable and practical way of delivering treatment and enhance adherence to therapy. The study design and the evidence levels of the included studies were low (≤ III-2) and the risk of bias of the comparative studies was moderate.
CONCLUSION
This narrative review cannot conclude the general effectiveness of voice therapy programs. Further research and understanding of what specific parameters (exercise and techniques) of a therapy's content will improve voice outcome measures. More studies are required to investigate whether or not voice therapy benefits are sustainable 6 months after ending the therapy. However, improved evidence is required to suggest that short period treatments are as beneficial as traditional therapy programs. Telepractice voice therapy may be an achievable and practical way of delivering treatment and enhance adherence to therapy.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Laryngeal Diseases; Quality of Life; Vocal Cords; Voice Quality; Voice Training
PubMed: 32444967
DOI: 10.1007/s00405-020-06059-8 -
Folia Phoniatrica Et Logopaedica :... 2024Considering the conceptual migration from vocal load and vocal loading to vocal demand and vocal demand response, this review of literature aimed to identify...
PURPOSE
Considering the conceptual migration from vocal load and vocal loading to vocal demand and vocal demand response, this review of literature aimed to identify physiological explanations, reported measurements, and associated factors (vocal demands) reported in the literature when considering the phonatory response to a vocal demand.
METHODS
A systematic review of literature, following the PRISMA Statement, was conducted using Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. Data were analyzed and presented in two parts. First, a bibliometric analysis, co-occurrence analysis, and content analysis were performed. Three criteria that got article inclusion were defined: (1) written in English, Spanish, and Portuguese; (2) published between 2009 and 2021; and (3) focused on vocal load and loading, vocal demand response, and voice assessment parameters. A total of 54 publications met the criteria and were included in this review. The second part included a conceptual framework based on the content analysis of three aspects of vocal demand response: (1) physiological explanations, (2) reported measurements, and (3) vocal demands.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION
As would be expected since vocal demand response is a relatively new term and not yet commonly used in literature when discussing way that the speakers respond to communicative scenarios, most of the studies reviewed (both historical and recent) still use the term of vocal load and vocal loading. Although there is a broad variety of literature discussing a wide range of vocal demands and voice parameters used to characterize the vocal demand response, results show that there is consistency across the studies. While vocal demand response is unique and intrinsic to the talker, associated factors that contribute to this response include both internal talker and external talker factors. Internal factors include muscle stiffness, viscosity in the phonatory system, vocal fold tissue damage, elevated sound pressure levels during occupational voice demands, extended periods of voice use, suboptimal body posture, difficulties in breathing technique, and sleep disturbances. Associated external factors include the working environment (noise, acoustics, temperature, humidity). In conclusion, although vocal demand response is intrinsic to the speaker, the speaker's response is affected by external vocal demands. However, due to the wide methods to evaluate vocal demand response, it has been difficult to establish its contribution to voice disorders in the general population and, specifically, among occupational voice users. This literature review identified commonly reported parameters and factors that may help clinicians and researchers define vocal demand response.
Topics: Humans; Voice Quality; Voice; Phonation; Voice Disorders; Vocal Cords
PubMed: 37393892
DOI: 10.1159/000531678 -
International Journal of Pediatric... Feb 2021To evaluate outcomes of injection laryngoplasty (IL) and laryngeal reinnervation for the treatment of pediatric Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis (UVFP), especially on... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate outcomes of injection laryngoplasty (IL) and laryngeal reinnervation for the treatment of pediatric Unilateral Vocal Fold Paralysis (UVFP), especially on swallowing and quality of voice.
METHODS
A literature review was performed in Medline/PubMed and Cochrane Library, following PRISMA guidelines, with no constraints on publication date. We included studies in English, Portuguese or Spanish about surgical treatment for UVFP on the pediatric population (0-21 years) that documented outcomes for one of the following techniques: IL or laryngeal reinnervation. Study characteristics, patient demographics, technical aspects of each procedure, complications, and outcomes for voice and swallowing were extracted. A meta-analysis with inverse variance, random-effects model was performed.
RESULTS
The PRISMA approach yielded 22 studies, totaling 267 patients. Seven reinnervation articles were included in meta-analysis for maximum phonation time (MPT) and quality of voice measured by Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia and Strain (GRBAS) scale. Cardiac surgery had caused UVFP in 62.8% (142/226) of the cases. The main indication for IL was aspiration and for reinnervation was dysphonia. For IL, there was an improvement of 84.5% (confidence interval [CI] 82.6-88.4%) in swallowing and 81.4% (CI 74.6-88.1%) in voice. For reinnervation, there was an improvement of 91.6% (CI 88.2-94.9%) in swallowing and 96.8% (CI 95.5-98.0%) in voice. We found an increase of 6.19 s (CI 1.00 to 11.38) in MPT and a mean difference in GRBAS sum of -3.53 points (CI -6.15 to -0.91) after reinnervation.
CONCLUSION
Retrospective cohort studies suggest that injection laryngoplasty and reinnervation are both effective in improving swallowing and voice in children with UVFP. There was clinical evidence of improvement in the MPT and GRBAS scale meta-analysis in patients undergoing reinnervation.
Topics: Child; Dysphonia; Humans; Laryngoplasty; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome; Vocal Cord Paralysis; Vocal Cords
PubMed: 33333340
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2020.110553 -
Journal of Voice : Official Journal of... Nov 2023Benign vocal fold lesions cause dysphonia by preventing vocal fold closure, causing irregular vibration and increasing compensatory muscle tension. Voice therapy...
UNLABELLED
Benign vocal fold lesions cause dysphonia by preventing vocal fold closure, causing irregular vibration and increasing compensatory muscle tension. Voice therapy delivered in addition to phonosurgery may improve voice and quality of life outcomes but the evidence base is lacking and what constitutes voice therapy for this population is not defined. The purpose of this systematic review is to critically evaluate the evidence for pre and post-operative voice therapy to inform the development of an evidence based intervention.
STUDY DESIGN
Systematic Review.
METHODS
Electronic databases were searched using key terms including dysphonia, phonosurgery, voice therapy and outcomes. Eligible articles were extracted and reviewed by the authors for risk of bias and for information regarding the content, timing and intensity of any pre and post-operative voice therapy intervention.
RESULTS
Of the 432 articles identified, 35 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. 5 were RCTs, 2 were individual cohort studies, 1 was a case control study and 26 were case series. There was considerable heterogeneity in participant characteristics. Information was frequently lacking regarding the content timing and intensity of the reported voice therapy intervention, and where present, interventions were highly variable.
CONCLUSION
Reporting in relevant literature is limited in all aspects of content, timing and intensity of intervention. Further intervention development work is required to develop a robust voice therapy treatment intervention for this population, before effectiveness work can commence.
Topics: Humans; Dysphonia; Vocal Cords; Case-Control Studies; Quality of Life; Voice Training; Voice Quality
PubMed: 34272141
DOI: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2021.06.005 -
Pediatric Surgery International May 2021H type tracheoesophageal fistula (H-TEF) is a rare congenital anomaly. Management may be complicated by late diagnosis and variation(s) in the therapeutic strategy. A...
BACKGROUND
H type tracheoesophageal fistula (H-TEF) is a rare congenital anomaly. Management may be complicated by late diagnosis and variation(s) in the therapeutic strategy. A systematic review of published studies explores the utility of diagnostic studies, operations and postoperative complications.
METHODS
Medline and PubMed database(s) were searched for ALL studies reporting H-TEF during 1997-2020. Using PRISMA methodology, manuscripts were screened for eligibility and reporting.
RESULTS
Forty-seven eligible studies were analysed. Primary diagnosis varied widely with surgeons performing oesophagography and trachea-bronchoscopy. Preoperative localisation techniques included fluoroscopy, guidewire placement and catheterisation. A cervical approach (209 of 272 cases), as well as thoracotomy, thoracoscopy and endoscopic fistula ligation, were all described. Morbidity included fistula recurrence (1.7%), leak (2%), tracheomalacia (3.4%) and respiratory sequelae (1%). The major adverse complication in all studies was vocal cord palsy secondary to laryngeal nerve injury (18.5%) yet strikingly few centres routinely reported undertaking vocal cord screening pre or postoperatively.
CONCLUSION
This study shows that paediatric surgeons record low volume activity with H type tracheoesophageal fistula. Variation(s) in clinical practice are widely evident. Laryngeal nerve injury and its subsequent management warrant special consideration. Care pathways may offset attendant morbidity and define 'best practice.'
Topics: Bronchoscopy; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Male; Postoperative Complications; Postoperative Period; Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injuries; Retrospective Studies; Thoracoscopy; Thoracotomy; Trachea; Tracheoesophageal Fistula; Tracheomalacia
PubMed: 33474597
DOI: 10.1007/s00383-020-04853-3 -
Frontiers in Medicine 2021Unexpected difficult airway management can cause significant morbidity and mortality in patients admitted for elective procedures. Ultrasonography is a promising tool...
Unexpected difficult airway management can cause significant morbidity and mortality in patients admitted for elective procedures. Ultrasonography is a promising tool for perioperative airway assessment, nevertheless it is still unclear which sonographic parameters are useful predictors of difficult laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation. To determine the ultrasonographic predictors of a difficult airway that could be applied for routine practice, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted. Literature search was performed on PubMED, Web of Science and Embase using the selected keywords. Human primary studies, published in English with the use of ultrasonography to prediction of difficult laryngoscopy or tracheal intubation were included. A total of 19 articles (4,570 patients) were analyzed for the systematic review and 12 articles (1,141 patients) for the meta-analysis. Standardized mean differences between easy and difficult laryngoscopy groups were calculated and the parameter effect size quantified. A PRISMA methodology was used and the critical appraisal tool from Joanna Briggs Institute was applied. Twenty-six sonographic parameters were studied. The overall effect of the distance from skin to hyoid bone ( = 0.02); skin to epiglottis ( = 0.02); skin to the anterior commissure of vocal cords ( = 0.02), pre-epiglottis space to distance between epiglottis and midpoint between vocal cords ( = 0.01), hyomental distance in neutral ( < 0.0001), and extended ( = 0.0002) positions and ratio of hyomental distance in neutral to extended ( = 0.001) was significant. This study shows that hyomental distance in the neutral position is the most reliable parameter for pre-operative airway ultrasound assessment. The main limitations of the study are the small sample size, heterogeneity of studies, and absence of a standardized ultrasonographic evaluation method [Registered at International prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO): number 167931].
PubMed: 34124099
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.671658 -
Cureus Dec 2023Since the 1940s, Macintosh laryngoscopy (Mac laryngoscopy) has been the gold standard for tracheal intubation, offering visualization of the glottis entrance. However,... (Review)
Review
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) Revealing the Future of Airway Management: Video Laryngoscopy vs. Macintosh Laryngoscopy for Enhanced Clinical Outcomes.
Since the 1940s, Macintosh laryngoscopy (Mac laryngoscopy) has been the gold standard for tracheal intubation, offering visualization of the glottis entrance. However, recent years have witnessed the emergence of various video laryngoscopy (VL) techniques. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to assess the clinical outcomes of VL Mac laryngoscopy in an elective setting. We comprehensively searched five medical databases - PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. All the databases were last searched in January 2023. We only included studies with full texts comparing VL to Mac laryngoscopy clinical outcomes. Studies were excluded if they were non-full text or non-randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and did not compare VL to Mac laryngoscopy. We extracted data comprising author names, publication year, key study outcomes (first-attempt intubation success rate, Cormack and Lehane grade, hypoxia incidence, and glottis view quality), video laryngoscope types, and sample sizes of both VL and Mac laryngoscopy groups. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess the risk of bias in the included studies. Statistical analysis was performed using Review Manager (RevMan, version 5.4; Cochrane Collaboration, London, UK), presenting results as odds ratio (OR) and risk ratios (RR) at a 95% confidence interval (CI). This facilitated the identification of relevant and appropriate studies of our analysis. The search produced 19 studies that were included in this review. The evaluated sample size ranges from 40 to 802, with 3,238 participants. The rate of success at the first attempt in the use of VL was 1,558/1,890 (82.43%), while the success rate for Mac laryngoscopy was 982/1,348 (72.85%; OR: 1.98 (1.25, 3.12)) at a 95% confidence interval. Pooled analysis indicated no significant difference for hypoxia concerning the type of device used RR (random effects: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.80-1.29). A video laryngoscope had a higher likelihood of visualizing the vocal cords categorized as category 1 in the Cormack-Lehane system of classification (RR: 2.45; 95% CI: 1.43-4.21). Additionally, considerably better glottis views were attained during VL than Mac laryngoscopy (OR: 1.77; 95% CI: 1.19-2.62). In elective tracheal intubation, VL demonstrates superior first-attempt success rates, offers improved glottis visualization, and reduces instances where the glottis cannot be viewed compared to Mac laryngoscopy.
PubMed: 38229823
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.50648 -
BMC Emergency Medicine Jul 2021Ultrasonography (US) is recently used frequently as a tool for airway assessment prior to intubation (endotracheal tube (ETT) placement), and several indicators have... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Ultrasonography (US) is recently used frequently as a tool for airway assessment prior to intubation (endotracheal tube (ETT) placement), and several indicators have been proposed in studies with different reported performances in this regard. This systematic review and meta-analysis reviewed the performance of US in difficult airway assessment.
METHODS
This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to the guideline of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and the Cochrane book. All the studies that had carried out difficult airway assessments using US, had compared the indicators in difficult and easy groups, and had published the results in English by the time we conducted our search in April 28, 2020, were included.
RESULTS
In the initial search, 17,156 articles were retrieved. After deleting the duplicate articles retrieved from multiple databases, 7578 articles remained for screening based on the abstracts and titles. Finally, the full text of 371 articles were assessed and the data from 26 articles were extracted, which had examined a total of 45 US indicators for predicting difficult intubation. The most common US index was the "thickness of anterior neck soft tissue at the vocal cords level". Also, "skin to epiglottis" and "anterior neck soft tissue at the hyoid bone level" were among the most common indicators examined in this area.
CONCLUSION
This systematic review showed that US can be used for predicting difficult airway. Of note, "skin thickness at the epiglottis and hyoid levels", "the hyomental distance", and "the hyomental distance ratio" were correlated with difficult laryngoscopy in the meta-analysis. Many other indicators, including some ratios, have also been proposed for accurately predicting difficult intubation, although there have been no external validation studies on them.
Topics: Humans; Intubation, Intratracheal; Ultrasonography
PubMed: 34217221
DOI: 10.1186/s12873-021-00472-w -
Brazilian Journal of Medical and... 2022Vocal fold leukoplakia (VFL) has a risk of malignant transformation. Therefore, patients can have symptoms such as dysphonia, vocal strain, difficulty breathing, and...
Vocal fold leukoplakia (VFL) has a risk of malignant transformation. Therefore, patients can have symptoms such as dysphonia, vocal strain, difficulty breathing, and dysphagia. Additionally, there is a genetic predisposition that can be associated with genetic polymorphisms. We aimed to evaluate the influence of genetic polymorphisms and protein levels in the etiology of VFL. Our study followed the PRISMA checklist and was registered on PROSPERO database. The questions were: "Are genetic polymorphisms involved in the etiology of VFL? Are protein levels altered in patients with VFL?". Eligibility criteria were case control studies that compared the presence of polymorphisms or/and protein levels of subjects diagnosed with VFL and healthy controls. Of the 905 articles retrieved, five articles with a total of 1038 participants were included in this study. The C allele of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP)-819 T/C IL-10, A allele of the SNP -592 A/C IL-10, CT genotype of the SNP rs11886868 C/T BCL11A, GG genotype of the SNP rs4671393 A/G BCL11A, LL genotype, and L allele of (GT)n repeat polymorphisms of the HO-1 were risk factors for VFL development. Nevertheless, there was a lack of association between VFL and the -1082 A/G IL-10, rs14024 CK-1, and -309 T/G Mdm2 SNPs. The concentrations of the MDM2, BCL11A, and HO-1 proteins were modified, while IL-10 levels were normally expressed in these subjects. In conclusion, most markers evaluated in this review could be potential indicators to develop effective therapies, avoiding a malignant transformation of the lesion.
Topics: Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genotype; Humans; Leukoplakia; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Vocal Cords
PubMed: 35293553
DOI: 10.1590/1414-431X2022e11920