Topographical analysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve during thyroidectomy.

There were 79 right and 65 left nerves dissected (N=144). On the right, the mean length of the dissection was 27.72 mm and on the left 31.40 mm. (Table 1). The length of the dissection ranged from 765 mm on the right and 3-62 mm on the patients left side. The mean distance from the TE groove was 4.28 mm on the right side with a range of 1-14 mm. On the left the mean distance was 4.09 mm with a range of 1-14 mm.