Influence of muscle relaxation on neuromonitoring of the recurrent laryngeal nerve during thyroid surgery.

Background: The influence of muscle relaxation on the intra-operative neuromonitoring of the recurrent laryngeal nerve during thyroid surgery is unclear.

Methods: In a prospective study involving 200 patients undergoing elective thyroid surgery, the influence of muscle relaxation on neuromonitoring of the recurrent laryngeal nerve was investigated. The patients received balanced anaesthesia with oxygen-nitrous oxide-isoflurane, and rocuronium bromide was used as the non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent.

[Identifying the recurrent laryngeal nerve by intraoperative neuromonitoring].

301 patients underwent thyroid surgery in 1998 by using the intraoperative neuromonitoring. The documentation was done prospectively. The system of intraoperative neuromonitoring consists of a stimulation circuit and an electromyographic record.