Laryngopharyngeal Injury After Endotracheal Intubation Under General Anesthesia

Incidence,Perioperative Risk Factors and Prognosis Associated With Laryngopharyngea Injury After Endotracheal Intubation Under General Anesthesia：A Retrospective Study

This study retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent tracheal intubation under general anesthesia at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine between October 1, 2015, and September 30, 2025, with a focus on issues related to postoperativelaryngopharyngeal complaints. Patients requiring otolaryngological consultation due to postoperative laryngopharyngeal complaints were identified via the case consultation system. Relevant patient data were collected through the Medison Anesthesia Information Management System and electronic medical record system, and telephone follow-up was conducted to assess patient prognosis. The primary outcome measures were the risk factors of postoperative hoarseness, while the secondary outcome measures included the incidence of postoperative hoarseness, the severity of vocal fold injury and its related risk factors. Additionally, the prognosis of patients and its related risk factors were evaluated. This study aims to reduce the incidence of perioperative laryngopharyngeal injury and provide a reference for the optimization of perioperative anesthetic regimens.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients who underwent general anesthesia with tracheal intubation at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine between October 2015 and September 2025
• Patients who required otolaryngological consultation due to laryngopharyngeal complaints (including hoarseness, sore throat, cough, choking on drinking water, etc.) postoperatively
• The surgical type was non-otolaryngological surgery

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with a history of laryngopharyngeal lesions (e.g., granuloma, polyp, tumour, vocal cord paralysis
• Patients with a preexisting tracheotomy
• Patients requiring postoperative tracheotomy
• Patients with incomplete medical records
• Patients who underwent multiple surgeries but for whom the specific surgical episode responsible for the laryngopharyngeal complaints could not be identified