Removal of the right and left recurrent laryngeal lymph nodes has the potential to affect the upper respiratory tract.
Removal of the right and left recurrent laryngeal lymph nodes is mainly used to remove lymphatic metastases in the recurrent laryngeal nerve pathway area that have been invaded by malignant tumors in various parts of the body. To serve the purpose of preventing further spread of cancer cells. If the laryngeal function may be affected after intraoperative injury or postoperative compression of the recurrent laryngeal nerve due to tissue edema, infection, hemorrhage and other factors.
The airway above the vocal folds is called the upper respiratory tract, and those with abnormal structure and function of recurrent laryngeal nerve often suffer from different degrees of hoarseness, choking, and aspiration, etc. Those with bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve dysfunction may also show dyspnea, and even the risk of asphyxiation.
When it is necessary to resect the right and left recurrent laryngeal lymph nodes, it is necessary to actively seek the opinion of specialists, and after comprehensively evaluating the primary disease and surgical indications, to choose the best surgical plan, so as to preserve the function of bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerves as much as possible.