After removal of the right recurrent laryngeal nerve, the voice can be restored to varying degrees in the later stages due to compensatory effects, but the degree of restoration and the character of the voice quality varies from person to person.
After removal of the right recurrent laryngeal nerve, there is usually a complete loss of function of the recurrent laryngeal nerve unilaterally. Symptoms include hoarseness, fatigue, and a sense of leakage of air when speaking or coughing. Laryngoscopy reveals that the vocal folds are fixed in a paracentral position, between the median and midline positions, due to the complete loss of the abductor and adductor muscles on the affected side.
In the early stage after resection of the right recurrent laryngeal nerve, the vocal folds of the healthy side close to the midline position while the affected vocal folds are fixed in the paracentral position, and there is a large gap between the two vocal folds, which is why the above symptoms occur. In the later stage, the left vocal cord may show compensatory movement enhancement, and the vocal cord may close to the right side beyond the midline, and the vocal situation may be improved.
After the right recurrent laryngeal nerve is removed, the voice can be restored to varying degrees due to the compensatory effect of vocal fold activity. It is recommended that patients follow the doctor’s instructions for regular postoperative checkups and seek the advice of a specialist for targeted treatment and rehabilitation guidance.