Questions posted in the Neurology and Neurosurgery Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Question Title: Dysphagia following Bypass

Forum: Neurology Forum
Topic: Neurology - General

Re: Dysphagia following Bypass

Re: Dysphagia following Bypass

Posted by CCF Neuro MD on December 19, 1997 at 14:07:22:

In Reply to: Dysphagia following Bypass posted by E. Brown on December 19, 1997 at 12:37:43:

: Is there any data available on the risks or incidence of damage to the
vagus/recurrent laryngeal nerve resulting from cutting the chest in bypass surgery?
Thanks for any help you may provide.

Recurrent laryngeal nerve damage is quite rare and seldom mentioned but
has been described in 1.9% of a survey of 270 patients undergoing
bypass in one survey. It can be caused by hypothermic
damage from ice used to cool the heart in some procedures, cannulation
of vessels in the neck and damage from the cuff of the Endotracheal tube.
Recurrent laryngeal nerve damage causes speech problems ,
swallowing problems are caused by damage to the vagus nerve.
I could find no reference to vagus nerve damage during bypass surgery in

a 20 year literature search.
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