Time to surgery following graves' disease diagnosis vary by race

Graves' disease (GD) is a life altering diagnosis for patients and Total Thyroidectomy (TT) has the highest and most rapid cure rate. It is unclear how race influences time from diagnosis to surgery for GD.

We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of patients who had TT for GD at a high-volume academic medical center between 2016 and 2023. Race/Ethnicity was self-reported as White or non-White (African American, Asian, and Hispanic). Patient's preoperative demographics, labs, medications, Time to Surgery (TTS) and postoperative outcomes were compared.

270 patients underwent TT with mean age: 37 (SD: 17), 86% female (n = 231): 130 (48.1%) White, 140 (51.9%) non-White patients. Median TTS for White patients compared to non-White patients was 89 days (IQR 33-288) versus 162 days (IQR 63-497) (p < 0.01).

Non-White patients wait longer for surgery than White patients. Targeted interventions to expedite referral and treatment are needed to improve equity in care.