25-year experience of surgical treatment of thyroid diseases in a multidisciplinary hospital

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Every year there is an increase in the number of patients with thyroid diseases, thus improving surgical treatment methods with decreased traumatic effect and postoperative complications, remains relevant. AIM: To summarize the results of 25-year work of the team (surgeons and endocrinologists) of specialists from the multidisciplinary hospital of Saint Petersburg and the departments of the North-Western State medical university named after I.I. Mechnikov on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with surgical pathology of the thyroid gland. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The results of surgical treatment of 3977 patients with thyroid diseases operated accoding to the traditional Kocher approach, asymmetric “floating” mini-approach and video-assisted mini-approach were analyzed. RESULTS: In the analyzed time period, a rapid increase in the number of minimally invasive techniques for surgical operations on the thyroid gland is characteristic, which are used for nodular euthyroid goiter, multi-nodular euthyroid goiter and toxic thyroid adenoma. With the help of traditional approach, surgical intervention was performed mainly for diffuse toxic goiter and multinodular toxic goiter. The introduction of new techniques and approaches in the provision of medical care to patients with surgical diseases of the thyroid gland can significantly improve the results of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: 25-year experience of the endocrinological center of the Elizabethan Hospital demonstrates that collaboration of departments and doctors of a multidisciplinary hospital allows to introduce new approaches to treating surgical thyroid diseases and improve its results without increasing the number of postoperative complications.