About Video

This video total thyroidectomy, the preserved parathyroid glands are inspected for viability, the most reliable method being continuous bright red bleeding after needle puncture. According to the author, color or tissue turgor alone is not a reliable indicator of either viability or devascularization. Recently, the author has reported the use of topically applied two percent plain lidocaine as a vasodilator/spasmolytic agent for restoring compromised blood flow. This technique helps to select devascularized parathyroid glands for autotransplantation. Alternately, papaverine may be a better choice since it has good vasodilator properties but no topical anesthetic effect on the recurrent laryngeal nerves.