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[Long-term cosmetic results following thyroid resection]
B Böhm1, S Minner, T Engelhardt
1Klinik für Allgemein- und Viszeralchirurgie, HELIOS Klinikum Erfurt GmbH. bboehm@erfurt.helios-kliniken.de
Summary
Most patients are satisfied with the long-term cosmetic results of thyroid resection surgery. Conventional surgical outcomes are excellent, making it challenging for new minimally invasive techniques to offer significant improvements.
Area of Science:
- Surgical Oncology
- Plastic Surgery
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Cosmetic outcomes of thyroid resection are increasingly important with the rise of minimally invasive techniques.
- Evaluating long-term patient satisfaction with surgical results is crucial for assessing treatment efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess patient satisfaction with long-term cosmetic results after thyroid resection.
- To compare patient and surgeon perceptions of surgical outcomes.
- To identify factors influencing cosmetic results and patient satisfaction.
Main Methods:
- Prospective enrollment of 244 patients for a questionnaire on long-term thyroid resection results.
- Clinical examination of 90 patients to evaluate outcomes.
- Analysis of patient-reported satisfaction and objective scar assessments.
Main Results:
- Over 90% of patients reported excellent or good cosmetic results.
- Minor complications included wound infection (4.1%), hypertrophic scars (4.1%), and mild dysphagia (7%).
- Results were independent of resection type or extent; scar dimensions averaged 4 cm length and 2 mm width.
Conclusions:
- Conventional thyroid resection offers high long-term patient satisfaction with cosmetic results.
- Minimally invasive techniques may face challenges in surpassing the established outcomes of conventional surgery.
- Patient and surgeon assessments of cosmetic results showed high agreement, with patients generally more satisfied.