Anatomy
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What is the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve?

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

The recurrent laryngeal nerve actually refers to two nerves designated by left and right side. These are connected to the left and right side vagus nerves, which begin at the brain stem and thread their way to approximately the middle of the body. Each one arises from the vagus nerve right near the aorta. The arrangement of each one as it moves up toward the neck is slightly different. Both end up near or behind the thyroid gland.

Some differences exist in the pathway each recurrent laryngeal nerve takes. The left nerve is longer and often twice as long as the right nerve. Approximate measurements in human anatomy are that left nerve is about 4.72 inches (12 cm). The extra length is often associated with greater potential for injury, and it does seem that damage to the left nerve is reported with greater frequency.

The recurrent laryngeal nerve is located near the thyroid gland.
The recurrent laryngeal nerve is located near the thyroid gland.

Essentially both nerves are responsible in part for controlling parts of the larynx and vocal cords, and there can be significant problems if either recurrent laryngeal nerve is damaged. Speech quality can definitely be affected significantly. There are three basic ways in which either nerve could become injured. A tumor along the nerve site might arrest its ability to function. Certain surgeries may result in damage to these nerves. In approximately a third of the cases where nerve damage is noted, there is no definable cause.

Damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve may cause speech difficulties.
Damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve may cause speech difficulties.

Since the recurrent laryngeal nerves on both sides are very close to the thyroid gland, one principal risk for surgical injury is surgical removal of the thyroid. Should a nerve become damaged, people might have a husky, throaty or whispering voice because the vocal cords will not meet each other to produce enough sound. Damage could be temporary or permanent, but it bears mention in any thyroid or other neck surgery as a potential risk since some cases of vocal cord paralysis are incurable, though using inserts to push the cords together may palliate the condition in others.

The recurrent laryngeal nerves control parts of the larynx.
The recurrent laryngeal nerves control parts of the larynx.

It is just as possible to damage the nerves from lower in the body. Chest surgery, especially near the aorta might result in a damaged recurrent laryngeal nerve too. Sometimes not only surgery can cause nerve damage. Instead, severe illness affecting the chest or throat could result in temporary or permanent impairment of a recurrent laryngeal nerve.

While most people might never need to know the reason for the existence of a recurrent laryngeal nerve, both of these nerves are important especially during head/neck/chest surgery of any type. Risk for potential damage is a good thing to discuss with a surgeon, though need for surgery in any of these areas often outweighs risk of injury to a nerve. Nevertheless, it is a topic of concern to many, since they want to recover from surgery with ability to speak in a normal voice intact.

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent WiseGEEK contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

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Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent WiseGEEK contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

BioNerd

Damage to the nerves in the neck can be particularly dangerous because they affect breathing and respiration to the brain and transmit signals from the entire body to the main database in the head. The neck is probably the most fragile and significant parts of the body because it separates the head from the rest of the nervous system. Protecting the head and the neck are naturally the most important things in the body, and are also the reason why they are located at the safe top of the human system.

JavaGhoul

So how would someone treat damage to their recurrent laryngeal nerves?

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    • The recurrent laryngeal nerve is located near the thyroid gland.
      By: nerthuz
      The recurrent laryngeal nerve is located near the thyroid gland.
    • Damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve may cause speech difficulties.
      By: Alliance
      Damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve may cause speech difficulties.
    • The recurrent laryngeal nerves control parts of the larynx.
      By: Alila Medical Media
      The recurrent laryngeal nerves control parts of the larynx.