Question #623

Considering surgical complications, which of the following operations are paired correctly with nerves than are at risk of damage during the surgery?

Cerivcal lymph node biopsy – cranial accessory nerve

Parathyroidectomy – recurrent laryngeal nerve

Thyroidectomy – hypoglossal nerve

Submandibular gland excision – cervical branch of facial nerve

Tonsillectomy – hypoglossal nerve

Due to the large number of nerves in the head and neck it is worth learning which are at risk of damage with different operations:

• Thyroidectomy – recurrent laryngeal nerve, superior laryngeal nerve
• Parathyroidectomy – recurrent laryngeal nerve, superior laryngeal nerve
• Submandibular gland excision – mandibular branch of the facial nerve
• Tonsillectomy - glossopharyngeal nerve
• Parotidectomy – cutaneous branches of the facial nerve and the greater auricular nerve
• Carotid endarterectomy – glossopharyngea, vagus, hypoglossal and ansa cervicalis
• Cervical lymph node biopsy - the large number of lymph nodes with a range of different locations means that a large number of nerves are at risk depending on the exactly which lymph node is biopsied!

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