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Updated: Feb 20, 2026
Transoral Endoscopic Thyroidectomy Vestibular Approach for Thyroid Lobectomy
Published on: May 12, 2023
Could post-thyroidectomy bleeding be the clue to modify the concept of postoperative drainage? A prospective
Ali S Al-Qahtani1, Tarek Abouzeid Osman2
1Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia; Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Assir Central and Abha Private Hospital, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Background/Objective:
To unveil the real effect of surgical drains on the outcomes of thyroidectomy for benign thyroid disorders.
Methods:
A prospective randomized study was conducted at Abha Private Hospital, Saudi Arabia on 108 patients suffered from benign thyroid disorders undergoing elective thyroidectomy from 1 August 2015 to 28 February 2017. Patients were allocated randomly into drainage group (A) and non-drainage group (B). The demographic data, operation (type and duration), postoperative complications, histopathological results and length of stay were assessed, documented and statistically verified to check its significance.
Results:
A total of 108 patients were enrolled in the study; 94 females and 14 males with mean age of 38.02 years, two patients developed hematoma (1.85%); one in each group and another two patients had seroma with no significant difference between both groups, the mean length of stay was significantly higher in group (A) (p = 0.001).
Conclusion:
This prospective study verified that routine drainage adds no significant advantage in the prevention of post-thyroidectomy bleeding, but it prolongs hospitalization. This aids in changing the concept from the "wide" use of drains into the "wise" use in selected patients with risk factors of bleeding.
