Arytenoid Cartilage Dislocation After Laparoscopic Surgery for Treatment of Diabetes:

Clinical characteristics of arytenoid dislocation in patients undergoing bariatric/metabolic surgery: A STROBE-complaint retrospective study

Tracheal intubation and the use of a large-bore calibrating orogastric (OG) tube have been reported to increase the incidence of arytenoid dislocation (AD) in patients undergoing bariatric/metabolic surgery. This study aimed at identifying the clinical characteristics of this patient subgroup.We retrospectively examined the clinical characteristics of 14 patients with AD (study group) who received tracheal intubation and OG insertion for bariatric/metabolic surgery between 2011 and 2016. For comparison, another group of 19 patients with postoperative AD collected from published literature and 3 patients from the authors' institute served as controls in whom only tracheal intubation was performed. Information on patient characteristics, anesthetic time, symptoms, time of symptom onset, intervention, and postinterventional impact on vocalization of the 2 groups were collected and compared.Patients in the study group were younger than those in the control group (38 [25-60] vs 54.5 [19-88] years, P = .03). Compared with the control group, anesthetic time (282.5 [155-360] vs 225 [25-480] minutes, P = .041) was longer and symptom onset (1.0 [0-6] vs 1.0 [0-6] days, P = .018) was more delayed in the study group. After closed reduction, the frequency of voice recovery was comparable in both groups in a time interval of 12 weeks (84.6% vs 92.9%, P = .59).Our report demonstrates that the clinical characteristics of patients with AD who received tracheal intubation and OG insertion for bariatric/metabolic surgery were different from those with postoperative AD receiving only tracheal intubation, highlighting the importance of implementing individualized strategies for AD prevention in this patient population.

Association between the use of a stylet in endotracheal intubation and postoperative arytenoid dislocation: a case-control study

Backgrounds

Arytenoid dislocation (AD) is a rare but severe complication after general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation. We conducted a case-control study at Peking Union Medical College Hospital to identify risk factors associated with AD, including the use of an intubation stylet.

Methods

Patients who experienced AD were matched 1:3 with controls based on gender, age and type of surgery. Multiple conditional logistic regression was performed to determine associations between potential risk factors and AD.

Results

Twenty-six AD cases were retrospectively identified from 2004 through 2016. On average, arytenoid dislocation occurred in 2 cases per year, with an incidence of 0.904/100,000 (approximately 0.01%). The 26 patients who experienced AD and 78 matched control patients were enrolled in this study. All enrolled patients underwent endotracheal intubation, and a stylet was used for intubation for 38.5% (10/26) of the AD patients and 64.1% (50/78) of the controls (OR = 0.23, 0.07–0.74). A higher incidence of AD was significantly associated with longer duration of operation (OR = 1.74, 1.23–2.47).

Conclusions

The use of an intubation stylet for endotracheal intubation appears to protect against AD. Prolonged operation time increases the risk of AD. These factors should be considered when assessing the risks of AD associated with endotracheal intubation and in efforts to avoid this complication.