The relationship between thyroidectomy complications and body mass index

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Surgical Oncology
• Public Health

Background:

• Obesity is a significant global health concern, frequently linked to various comorbidities.
• Understanding the impact of obesity on surgical outcomes is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and the occurrence of complications following thyroidectomy.
• To determine if elevated BMI poses additional risks in patients undergoing total thyroidectomy.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of 145 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy between 2015 and 2018.
• Patients were stratified into two groups based on BMI: <25 (Group A) and ≥25 (Group B).
• Data analyzed included demographics, operative duration, and postoperative complications such as hypocalcemia and recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in age or gender were noted between the BMI groups.
• Operative times and rates of surgical site infection and bleeding were comparable across both groups.
• Transient hypocalcemia rates were similar (37.9% in Group A vs. 29.1% in Group B), with no permanent hypocalcemia observed in Group A and only 2.5% in Group B. Transient recurrent nerve palsy occurred in 1.5% of Group A and 3.8% of Group B, with no permanent palsy in either group.

Conclusions:

• Elevated body mass index is not associated with an increased risk of complications after thyroidectomy.
• Thyroidectomy can be safely performed in patients with a higher BMI.
• The findings suggest that BMI should not be a deterrent for proceeding with thyroidectomy.