Thyroid surgery under monitored anesthesia care (MAC)

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Surgical Procedures

Background:

• Thyroid surgery traditionally uses general anesthesia.
• Monitored anesthesia care (MAC) is being re-evaluated for thyroid procedures.
• This study reports on 40 thyroid surgeries performed under MAC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and outcomes of thyroid surgery under monitored anesthesia care (MAC).
• To assess postoperative pain, sore throat, hoarseness, and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in patients undergoing thyroid surgery with MAC.

Main Methods:

• Forty patients undergoing thyroid surgery were included.
• Bilateral superficial cervical plexus block (BSCPB) was administered using 1% mepivacaine with epinephrine.
• Sedation was achieved with propofol and fentanyl post-block.

Main Results:

• Low mean postoperative pain and sore throat visual analog scale (VAS) scores were recorded.
• Incidence of hoarseness decreased significantly over time, reaching 0% at 12 hours.
• Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) incidence remained low throughout the observation period.

Conclusions:

• Thyroid surgery under monitored anesthesia care (MAC) is a potentially suitable alternative to general anesthesia.
• The combination of BSCPB and MAC provides effective anesthesia and analgesia for thyroid procedures.
• This approach may offer benefits in terms of patient recovery and side effect profiles.