It was reported that the patient¿s left vagus nerve was damaged.The patient¿s treating ent physician stated that it appeared to occur during a surgery, but it was not clear if vns surgery or a prior brain surgery was responsible.It was believed the site of the damage was slightly higher than the level of the vns leads, specifically referencing damage at the palate region of the nerve.The ent physician reportedly performed a laryngoscopy and showed the patient had reduced sensation of the larynx, and muscle activations were delayed and less forceful.A modified variance swallow study was performed, and the tongue muscles and general pharyngeal muscles were found to not perform as well as they should.The physician¿s assessment of the issue was that since the left vagus nerve innervates the left palate, and the patient¿s left pallet did not elevate, the results signified damage to that vagus nerve.However, patient¿s vocal cords were reported to be normal.Knowing that left palate is innervated higher up on the vagus nerve, the damage was assessed by the physician to possibly have happened prior to vns.The patient was confirmed to have multiple other brain surgeries, including brain tumor removal, over the course of his life.However, the patient's vns surgery could not be ruled out as a contributing factor.
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