Postthyroidectomy throat pain and swallowing: do proton pump inhibitors make a difference?

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Endocrinology
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Thyroid surgery commonly leads to post-operative symptoms like throat pain and dysphagia.
• These symptoms are often similar to those experienced with laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in alleviating pain and swallowing disability in the initial week following thyroid surgery.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire-based study involving 208 patients who underwent thyroid surgery.
• Patients were divided into two groups: 100 on PPIs (study group) and 108 not on PPIs (control group).
• Symptom severity was assessed during the first postoperative week and at day 7.

Main Results:

• The PPI group reported significantly lower average pain levels (2.57 vs. 3.9) during the first week and at day 7 (1.27 vs. 2.41) compared to the control group (P=0.001).
• Swallowing disability was also significantly reduced in the PPI group (1.87 vs. 3.12) during the first week and at day 7 (0.87 vs. 1.76) (P=0.007).

Conclusions:

• Proton pump inhibitors demonstrate a beneficial effect in reducing pain and swallowing disability in the early post-thyroidectomy period.
• PPIs may be a valuable therapeutic option for managing common post-surgical complaints after thyroidectomy.