THE RECURRENT LARYNGEAL NERVE (RLN) - APPLICATION TO TRANSHIATAL ESOPHAGECTOMY

To emphasize the risks of recurrent laryngeal nerve lesions during tra nshiatal oesophagectomy an anatomical study of the course of the recur rent laryngeal nerve (RLN) was performed. Twenty RLN were dissected in their thoracic portion. This work showed the constancy of the low ori gin of the nerve in the adult under the aortic arch, and its course in the tracheal angle. It confirmed the close connections of the nerve w ith the posterior mediastinal viscera. Lastly, it displayed oesophagea l nerve branches arising from the RLN and a few anastomoses between th em and the tracheal nerve branches. This anatomical disposition result ed into the difficulty of transhiatal oesophaphagectomies and the risk of injury of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. The possibility of nerve lesions can explain the respiratory complications of this surgical app roach.