Complication Trends of Thyroid Surgery in a Teaching Institute

Abstract

Today most complications of thyroid and parathyroid surgery are related to either metabolic derangements or injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerves. This is mainly due to anatomical variations in the course of recurrent laryngeal nerve and positions of parathyroids. Patients who develop complications such as permanent hypocalcemia and recurrent laryngeal nerve injury have a diminished quality of life and increased health costs and often require lifelong replacement therapy, further surgical procedures and rehabilitation. OBJECTIVE: To study the occurrence of various postoperative complications following thyroid surgeries, and its outcome in a teaching and research medical institution. METHODOLOGY: It is an observational study made over a period of 2 years. All the cases (total 55 cases) admitted within the first year of study period for thyroid surgery were included in the study. A prospective analysis of all the patients undergoing thyroid surgeries was done mainly focusing on the operative and postoperative events. RESULTS & CONCLUSION: The peak age group of individuals undergoing thyroid surgery was in the fourth decade accounting for 44% of patients. In the present series mortality was zero and morbidity was seen in 30% of the cases most of them being transient. Hypoparathyroidism was the most common complication encountered in our study noted in 7(14%) cases of which 5 cases (10%) were transient and 2 cases (4%) were permanent. There were 3 cases (6%) of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy of which 2 were transient (4%) and unilateral (right side in both cases) and 1 was permanent and bilateral (2%). There was one case (2%) of SLN palsy on left side which developed after hemithyroidectomy for a thyroid nodule. Seroma developed in one patient (2%) after removal (Total thyroidectomy) of a longstanding MNG with retrosternal extension. Hematoma occurred in one case (2%). There was one case of stitch abscess which developed following hemithyroidectomy. There was one case (2%) of hypothyroidism which developed after total thyroidectomy for a case of Grave's disease in a young lady. Surgery of thyroid gland is a safe procedure as the there was no mortality and the morbidity is minimum most of which were transient.

A study on the recurrent laryngeal nerve injuries in thyroid surgeries at PESIMSR, Kuppam

“…Patients who develop complications such as permanent hypocalcaemia and recurrent laryngeal nerve injury have a decreased quality of life and increased cost of healthcare and often require lifelong replacement therapy with thyroxin or further surgical surgeries and rehabilitation. 13 This study was planned to assess the incidence of various postoperative complications following different thyroid surgeries and the role of adequate preoperative patient preparation, careful, meticulous surgical technique and early recognition of postoperative complications with the prompt institution of treatment in reducing morbidity and providing the patient with the best chance of a satisfactory outcome. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the recurrent laryngeal nerve injuries in patients undergoing thyroid surgeries at PESIMSR.…”