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Updated: Jul 12, 2025
Transoral Endoscopic Thyroidectomy Vestibular Approach for Thyroid Lobectomy
Published on: May 12, 2023
Completion thyroidectomy: A safe option for high-volume surgeons
Peter P Issa1, Eslam Hossam1, Jack H Cheng1
1Department of Surgery, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Background:
The risk of complication in patients undergoing completion thyroidectomy (cT) is mixed. Several studies report increased risk in comparison to total thyroidectomy (TT) and still others reporting a comparatively decreased risk. We compared the rates of complication in patients at our institution undergoing thyroid lobectomy (TL), (TT), and cT by a single high-volume surgeon.
Methods:
We performed a single-institution retrospective cohort study. Patients undergoing TL, TT, or cT by a high-volume surgeon were included. Rates of complication were collected and compared between the three cohorts.
Results:
A total of 310 patients were included. The overall rate of complication was 4.2%. The complication rates in the TL, TT, and cT cohorts were 1%, 7.1%, and 4.5%, respectively (p = 0.10). Transient hypocalcemia was slightly more common in the TT cohort (6.1%) as opposed to the TL (0%) or cT (0.9%) cohort (p = 0.01). The cohorts also had similar rates of recurrent laryngeal nerve signal loss leading to transient dysphonia (TL: 0% vs. TT: 1% vs. cT: 3.6%, p = 0.10).
Conclusions:
While rates of complication tended to predictably decrease as approaches became less extensive, there were no significant differences in complication rates among the three surgical approaches when performed by a high-volume surgeon. Considering the low rates of complication overall, patient counseling and preference should be emphasized to provide appropriate and tailored treatment plans.
