Patients undergoing thyroid surgery suffer preoperatively from poor quality of life

Thyroid surgery is performed for various indications, including goiter, suspected or diagnosed malignancy, and hyperthyroidism. While previous studies have focused on postoperative quality of life (QoL) improvements, limited data exist on preoperative QoL in different patient groups. This study aimed to assess the preoperative QoL of patients undergoing thyroid surgery and identify risk factors associated with poor QoL. Additionally, we compared the QoL of patients with thyroid cancer or suspected malignancy to those undergoing surgery for non-cancer-related indications.

This prospective study included 204 patients who underwent thyroidectomy or lobectomy at Oulu University Hospital, Finland, between September 2021 and December 2022. Patients completed preoperative QoL assessments using the RAND-36, ThyPRO-39, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Voice Handicap Index (VHI) questionnaires. Patient characteristics and clinical data were collected from medical records. Statistical analyses included Mann-Whitney U tests, Pearson Chi-square tests, and logistic regression to evaluate differences between patient groups and identify factors associated with poor QoL.

Patients undergoing thyroid surgery, regardless of indication, reported lower QoL compared to the general Finnish population. No significant differences were found between cancer and non-cancer patients in overall QoL scores. Poor QoL was significantly associated with younger age (< 65 years), higher BDI and VHI scores, elevated BMI, and frequent dyspnea.

Preoperative QoL is significantly lower in patients undergoing thyroid surgery compared to the general population, independent of diagnosis. Contrary to our hypothesis, patients with thyroid cancer did not report worse QoL than those with non-malignant thyroid diseases.