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Outcomes and complications of thyroid surgery: retrospective study
1Department of Surgery, United Christian Hospital, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Objective:
To study the outcome and complications of thyroid surgery.
Design:
Retrospective study.
Setting:
Regional hospital, Hong Kong.
Patients:
Three hundred and twelve patients (266 women and 46 men) underwent thyroid surgery between January 1994 and December 1999.
Main Outcome Measures:
Complications of thyroidectomy for various thyroid diseases according to surgical technique used.
Results:
Capsular dissection gradually became a more popular surgical technique: 33% and 58% in the first and second halves of the study period respectively (P<0.001). The overall rate of permanent vocal cord palsy was 2%. Near-total thyroidectomy became the preferred surgical treatment for toxic goitre over the study period. The incidence of recurrent hyperthyroidism was reduced from 21% to 7% (P>0.1, not significant). The incidence of hypoparathyroidism was approximately 30% after thyroidectomy for cancer.
Conclusion:
Capsular dissection is increasingly utilised in thyroid surgery. Low complication rates can be achieved after thyroidectomy for benign diseases. Hypoparathyroidism, however, is a relatively common complication after surgery for thyroid cancer.