A comparative analysis of the postoperative complications of thyroid cancer surgery related to surgical approach

A retrospective study of the postoperative complications in 129 patients treated for thyroid cancer in the clinics of surgery of the Higher Medical Institute for a period of 9 years (1988-1996) was performed. The majority of the patients (90) were treated by total thyroidectomy. Subtotal thyroidectomy was performed in 21 and thyroid lobectomy in 15 patients. Postoperative complications occurred in 56 of the operated patients. Of these 5 had permanent and 51 transient complications. Most of the complications (80.35 +/- 3.56%) ensued from total thyroidectomy. The variety of the complications included permanent hypoparathyroidism in 3 patients, transient hypocalcemia in 37 patients, injury of the recurrent laryngeal nerves in 11 patients, esophageal damage in 1 patient, hematoma within the operation field in 1 patient and suppuration of the operative wound in 1 patient. Four of the patients with injury of the recurrent laryngeal nerve suffered from obstruction of the airways which required temporary tracheostoma to be performed. No lethal postoperative outcome was observed. The data of the study are discussed in relation with the literature data.