Perioperative management of patients with hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is a common disorder affecting the cardiovascular, respiratory, hematopoietic, and renal organ systems--each of which is particularly germane in the management of the surgical patient. In general, treatment of recognized hypothyroidism is recommended before any surgical procedure whenever possible and euthyroidism should be documented by measurement of serum TSH as part of the preoperative evaluation. Such a strategy is likely to result in better surgical outcomes with improved morbidity and mortality. One exception to treating first with thyroid hormone is the patient with angina or coronary artery disease requiring bypass grafting, angioplasty or stenting. In this setting, preoperative thyroid hormone therapy could tax the ischemic myocardium. The coronary blood flow should be addressed first, and thyroid hormone therapy initiated afterwards. The authors have emphasized the need for caution in the interpretation of low serum thyroid hormones in sick or surgical patients because of the importance of distinguishing between hypothyroidism and the "euthyroid sick syndrome." There is no clear evidence at this point to support thyroid hormone replacement in the latter patients, and it may be potentially harmful. Rather, we hold that T3 treatment of various surgical and other patients with nonthyroidal illness should be deferred until proof of its therapeutic efficacy is demonstrated.