Tests on cost versus efficacy have found that it makes sense to do the monitoring, Dr. Randolph said. “Our work has shown that the use of nerve monitoring is cost effective for all cases of bilateral thyroidectomy by allowing the identification of first-side injury and staging surgery,” he said, “as opposed to not using monitoring, continuing the surgery, and potentially having bilateral vocal cord paralysis and tracheotomy.”
Thomas Collins is a freelance medical writer based in Florida.