Abstract
Thyroidectomy is the surgical removal of all or part of the thyroid gland for non-neoplastic and neoplastic thyroid diseases. Major postoperative complications of thyroidectomy, including recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, hypocalcemia, and hypothyroidism, are not infrequent.
Summarize the frequency of surgical complications of thyroidectomy.
Retrospective.
Secondary health facility in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
We collected data from the records of patients who were managed for thyroid diseases between December 2013 and December 2019.
Complications following thyroidectomy.
339 patients, 280 (82.6%) females and 59 (17.4%) males.
We found 311 (91.7%) benign and 28 (8.3%) malignant thyroid disorders. Definitive management included 129 (38.1%) total thyroidectomies, 70 (20.6%) hemithyroidectomies, 10 (2.9%) subtotal thyroidectomies and 5 (1.5%) near-total thyroidectomies with 125 (36.9%) patients treated non-surgically. The overall complication rate was 11.3%. There were 4 (1.9%) patients with recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, 16 (7.5%) patients with temporary hypoparathyroidism, 1 (0.5%) patient with paralysis of the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve and 3 (1.4%) patients with wound hematoma.
The rate of complications following thyroidectomy is still high. There is a need for emphasis on comprehensive measures to control the high rate of complications.
Retrospective design and no long-term follow up to monitor late complications.
None.