Neck surgery

Neck surgery

Patients undergoing neck surgery , e.g. thyroid surgery , must be observed for accumulation of blood in the wound, which may obstruct the airway and cause rapid asphyxia. This potentially life-threatening complication necessitates systems for early detection and prompt evacuation (see guidelines from the Di ffi cult Airway Society , the British Association of Endocrine and Thyroid Surgeons and the British Association of Otorhinolaryngology , Head and Neck Surgery). Another potential but less dangerous complication is damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve, which can produce voice change (see also Chapter 55 ). Neck surgery

Patients undergoing neck surgery , e.g. thyroid surgery , must be observed for accumulation of blood in the wound, which may obstruct the airway and cause rapid asphyxia. This potentially life-threatening complication necessitates systems for early detection and prompt evacuation (see guidelines from the Di ffi cult Airway Society , the British Association of Endocrine and Thyroid Surgeons and the British Association of Otorhinolaryngology , Head and Neck Surgery). Another potential but less dangerous complication is damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve, which can produce voice change (see also Chapter 55 ).