NCT07902349Not yet recruiting
Endotracheal Tube Versus Transcartilage Needle Electrodes for Nerve Monitoring in Thyroid Surgery
Comparison of Endotracheal Tube Surface Electrodes and Transcartilage Needle Electrodes for Intraoperative Neuromonitoring During Thyroidectomy: A Prospective Within-Patient Comparison
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 30 Oct 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
Intraoperative neuromonitoring of the recurrent laryngeal nerve during thyroidectomy is most commonly performed with surface electrodes embedded in the endotracheal tube (ETT). ETT electrodes are prone to malposition, rotation and secretions, which can produce low signal amplitudes and false signal loss. Transcartilage needle electrodes (TCN), placed into the thyroid cartilage, have been reported to yield higher and more stable amplitudes. This single-center prospective study records ETT and TCN signals simultaneously in the same patient during thyroidectomy, so that each patient serves as their own control. The primary aim is to compare how often each electrode type shows a false amplitude decrease of more than 50% in nerves without true injury. Voice and swallowing outcomes are assessed before surgery and at 2 weeks and 3 months after surgery using the Turkish versions of the Voice Handicap Index-10 and the Eating Assessment Tool-10.
- Status (registry)
- Not yet recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 100 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 20 Oct 2026
- Start date
- 1 Nov 2026
- Primary completion date
- 15 Jul 2027
- Lead sponsor
- Marmara University
- NCT number
- NCT07902349
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 100
- From 1 Nov 2026 to the primary completion date, 15 Jul 2027
- 1 site in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- Previous thyroid, parathyroid or neck surgery, including completion thyroidectomy
- Previous radiotherapy to the neck
- Anatomy preventing needle electrode placement, including severely calcified thyroid cartilage, previous laryngeal trauma or previous laryngeal surgery
- Concurrent neck dissection planned with thyroidectomy
Other illness
- Advanced thyroid cancer with invasion of the trachea, esophagus or larynx
- Neuromuscular disease such as myasthenia gravis, or other neurological disease affecting nerve conduction
- Bleeding diathesis, or anticoagulant treatment that cannot be interrupted before surgery
Other
- Preoperative vocal cord paralysis or paresis
- American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status 4 or higher
- Planned transoral or endoscopic approach
- Pregnancy
- Expected inability to comply with the follow-up protocol
Who the study is looking for
- Age 18 years or older
- Scheduled for primary total thyroidectomy or hemithyroidectomy
- Normal vocal cord mobility on preoperative laryngoscopic examination
- Able to read and complete the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) and Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10) questionnaires
- Written informed consent
Age in the registry: 18 years to - · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (1)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marmara University School of Medicine Hospital, Department of General Surgery Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Istanbul | Turkey (Türkiye) | Unknown status |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.