Transient bilateral vocal cord paralysis after endotracheal intubation with double-lumen tube

Abstract

Vocal cord paralysis is one of the most serious anesthetic complications related to endotracheal intubation. The practitioner should take extreme care, as bilateral vocal cord paralysis can obstruct the airway and lead to disastrous respiratory problems. There have been many papers on bilateral vocal cord paralysis after neck surgery, but reports on such a condition after lung surgery are very rare. We report a case of bilateral vocal cord paralysis detected after removal of a double-lumen endotracheal tube in a 67-year-old patient who underwent wedge resection by videoassisted thoracoscopic surgery. We also note that he recovered spontaneously without complications within a day. Copyright © 2010 Korean Society of Anesthesiologists.