Objective and Perceptual Characteristics of the Voice After Endotracheal Intubation in Head and Neck Surgery

Launched by CLINICAL HOSPITAL CENTRE ZAGREB · Aug 12, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This is an observational study in Croatia that will follow about 180 adults who are undergoing elective thyroid, head-and-neck, or abdominal surgery. The researchers want to learn whether the breathing tube used during surgery (endotracheal intubation) affects voice after the operation. Participants will be grouped by the type of surgery (thyroid, other head/neck, or abdominal) and will have several voice checks before and after surgery, including how they feel about their voice, expert listening to voice quality, imaging of the vocal cords, and objective voice tests like pitch, loudness, and how long they can sustain voice. These checks happen before surgery, then on postoperative Day 1, Week 2, and Week 4.

To take part, you would need to be 18–70 years old and scheduled for elective thyroid, head-and-neck, or abdominal surgery at the University Hospital Centre Zagreb, with normal voice before surgery and no history of neck surgery or known vocal cord problems. If eligible, you would undergo the voice assessments around your surgery and again afterward as part of the study. This is not a trial of a treatment; it’s an observational study to see if intubation is linked to voice changes and whether the risk differs by the type of surgery. The study is currently enrolling by invitation at the Zagreb hospital, with results expected later to help doctors and patients better understand voice changes after surgery.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • patients scheduled for elective thyroid, head and neck surgery or abdominal surgery
• • 18 and 70 years,
• • normal preoperative voice status, and
• • normal laryngeal status.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • \<18 years in the time of surgery
• • history of previous head and neck operation or radiotherapy
• • patients scheduled for head and neck operation that can alter acoustic characteristics of the voice (surgery of the nasal cavity, ear surgery, laryngeal surgery, jaw surgery).
• • Patients with preoperatively diagnosed pathologic vocal cord findings (nodules, polyps, vocal cord paralysis),
• • patients with postoperative injuries of the vocal cords, recurrent and superior laryngeal nerve,
• • patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux,
• • patients in whom postoperative evaluation of the voice cannot be performed due to uncooperativeness will also be excluded from the study.