voicedoctor.net - Paralysis

RLN Cauterized During Total Thyroidectomy

jessicabcrowder — Sat, 18 Oct 2014 16:55:01 +0000

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Hi there! Thank you so much for your site/time! I just had a TT on October 15th and the surgeon informed me afterwards that she mistakenly cauterized "2 sonometers" of my right RLN while trying to save a parathyroid. I am concerned about the nature of the injury. She said I will not know for 6 months to a year if it will repair itself, but I am unable to find any literature where people have had the same experience and their outcomes. I am so scared! I am a 27 year-old mom of three and an avid singer. I'm devastated. If the injury is permanent, I am very interested in reinnervation as I read if it fails, then you could move forward with an implant. Additionally, during the after reinnervation surgery, I read you can have a temporary injection to get you through the initial few months until the nerves grow. Have you had experience with this?

Thyroidectomy - Tracheostomy - Bilateral chords paresis ?

piliopc — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 22:20:03 +0000

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Paralysis

Dear Mr Thomas,

We leave in Athens, Greece.

My mother Helen,61, mother of 2 daughters and a son, healthy as a bull had a thyroidectomy on October 7 2013 due to several nodules (non cancer).After the surgery she came out really bad.. Doctors said she had thyrotoxic crisis.. she stayed in the hospital for ten days.
Almost the first three months she was whispering having great GREAT difficulty in breathing (you could hear her breathing from a distance).
We went to 4 different doctors and everybody would say that this post surgery situation is normal and will be fixed (!) in time in the next three months (meaning a total 6 from the operation).

But end of January my mother got sick and she had 3 asphyxiation episodes that we were really lucky she didn't die in our hands..
So we went to a 5th Dr who immediately diagnosed her with bilateral chords paresis and suggested tracheotomy. The funny thing is that
the Dr who performed the thyroidectomy insisted not to do the tracheotomy.Finally early Feb we did it and my mother was out of the danger.
But on the other hand we spent almost a month to stabilize her condition with all the catheter procedure (murphy's law..wrong decisions of the Dr for the size and type of the Cuffed Tracheostomy Tube. The tube got off twice in her sleep !!! This whole situation got her so tired that she was honestly like a living dead.

In all of the above, add that early March she had a deep vein thrombosis on her left leg (above her knee) and stayed at the hospital for another 2 weeks making her life miserable...She is under Sintrom medication the last 5 months.

So once she got better with her leg, able to walk , the tracheotomy stable, we went to an other place here in Athens which is specialized on vocal chords issues. They saw through the scope, and for the first time we heard from somebody that after 7 months from surgery the right chord is doing a small movement.We went again just a few days ago and they did not see any improvement.

Dear Mr Thomas,

It will mean the world to my mother if you could share your experience and take a look to the two videos from the scope in May and a few
days ago to the below link i sent you

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rtmv5doi8vw3fqi/AAD1YTXKybmRd-5zpjUBJ7Ata?dl=0

Is there a chance the chords will get better? Is there a clinic maybe that you could recommend in Europe?

Thank you in advance and congratulations on your fantastic work!

With respect,

Constantinos Piliopoulos

L Vocal Cord Paralysis due to Recurrent Papillary Thyroid Ca

Lhoff45 — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 23:46:59 +0000

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Paralysis

Recently, the thyroid ca I had 43 years ago, returned and left me with a left vocal cord paralysis. My voice is soft and I need speech therapy. I
would like to find a speech therapist who is familiar with throat cancer patients affected by paralyzed vocal cords.
How do I find a GOOD speech pathologist in my area? Orange county, Ca.
My primary doctors are @ MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas. I have not hooked up with any docs here in Orange County who could refer me.

Left Vocal Cord Paralysis

tmeeth — Sun, 22 Sep 2013 17:56:49 +0000

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Paralysis

Thanks for the informative website & videos. I was diagnosed with idiopathic VCP 2-weeks ago - going on now for 6-weeks. I am waiting to see a specialist at a voice/swallowing center (UC Davis) - unfortuantely a month + out still. A few questions, I'd be grateful if you could answer: 1) I need to speak to do my job. The ENT said surgery/injection would further limit my airway (20% blocked now) - which is difficult as my passion is distance running/cycling/sports in general (and I already greatly notice my impacted airway on exertion). Is this true (your video leaves me questioning that, as it didn't seem to indicate that); 2) Do you know on average, how many patients re-aquire a voice (idiopathic)? I've scoured the literature, but can't find any real numbers. Thank you very much for your time and help.

Paralyzed Vocal Cord

stratusbo — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 00:33:03 +0000

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Paralysis

Hello Doctor...
I was so excited to find your website. I have learned more about my paralysis and what is actually happening then I have from my doctors (very sad).
Quick Background for you:
March 2012 I had a Glomus Jugulare Tumour removed. Unfortunately when I woke up, the right side of my face was paralyzed as well as my right vocal cord. They said there was no damage done to the facial nerves just had to work around and move them. Do they die once that happens an they have to regrow or are they just in shock? What really happens to nerves? This has been a horrible year to say the least.

As this point, in June I had 2 different temporary injections to help. They were more concerned about my swallowing I think then my voice. Since then I was told they wanted to wait a year in hopes of my voice coming back on it's own. I believe that it has got a little stronger, was told by people that I am definitely easier to hear and understand. I can only say 6-7 words before having to take a breath.
What would be some signs that maybe the nerves are waking up? I didn't see anything on this site. I'm still hoping for no surgery with my voice returning, but also know the longer it is, will it?

Thanks for any thoughts or comments in advance
Susie

vocal cord paralysis

chris — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 21:16:42 +0000

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Paralysis

Hello,

My name is Juan Espinal. I'm 33 years old living in the Brox, NY. I have been diagnosed with one vocal paralized. I have done some research about this complication in which I found some information including your website.

According to one of the Doctors I have seen in NY city, I'm candidate for the surgery and the injection. As a result, I'm doing some researches evaluation of the cost of the treatment as I don't have health insurance at this moment.

If you can be so kind in providing necessary information of how are your procedures so I can evaluate the best convenience treatment for myself.

Your reply will be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Juan Espinal

Lost my voice.

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 20:18:52 +0000

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Paralysis

I'm 40 years old and 3 1/2 year ago I had a stroke. On April 30, 2010 I had a cold and lost my voice. It didn't come back until April 26,2011. On Oct.29,2011 I had a cold and

I lost my voice again and it is still gone. I have gone to a doctor and he has know answer for me. Do you have any ideas? I would like if you can call me so you can hear my voice. Thank you for your time. Nicole from Iowa

Did the stroke cause my voice box?

chris — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 20:16:05 +0000

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Paralysis

I was 36 and had a massive stroke May 19,2008. I didn't have any physcial problems just my language, memory,and side vision. On April 30th, 2010 I lost my voice I went to a doctor and he said my voice box was paralysis on the left side. He told me it might be a year before it comes back . It came back April 20,2011. On Oct.29,2011 I lost my voice again. I went back to the doctor and he has know answer for me. Do you have any answers for me? Thankyou Nicole

Sport injury

chris — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 20:04:44 +0000

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Paralysis

Hello,

I have had already 3 separate surgeries on my voice box since my hockey injury in 1991 which paralyzed my right vocal cord.

2 of them helped push the right over to meet the left, and the last one was an implant.

I now can use it to talk on a cell phone with competing noises, with the window down for instance, but still talking to someone during a party I have to almost shout at them for them to hear me.

I also have developed what I call, the Chewbacca syndrome, where my voice flutters now like the character in Star Wars if I blow out steady air on certain vowel sounds.

Would the Injection laryngoplasty help in strenghtening the resonance of my voice?

Thank you for your time and advice on my situation.

Grant

20 year with breathing trouble!!!!

chris — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 19:38:51 +0000

Forums:

Paralysis

Dear Doctor I have a 20 year old daughter that was in a near fatal ATV accident on March 20th of this year. She was in a coma for 6 days and had a server TBI and stopped breathing. She was Intubated at the trauma center and upon awakening she had NO voice. They took her for exploratory surgery and the DR came out and said if she were an opera singger her career would be over! She no vocal cords in the pictures he gave me. The vocal cords have come back but they were first paralyzed 1/2 open and 1/2 closed making coughing up phlem and even breathing has been a problem. She is now pregnant (not planned) and her ENT says that the VC are now closing all the way but they will not open all the way and she does not know why. I am worried as the pregnancy goes on she will get worse and worse. We are very blessed she is as together as she is with the injuries she sustained but I sure would feel better if someone could tell us what we can do. Do you think it could be built up scar tissue and if so can a surgeon remove it or will that leave her with more problems. She was in nursing school before all this happened. Can you please tell me what we should do!! Thank you so very much for your time!! Kristin Sholaya