[Complications after surgical treatment of malign thyroid diseases]

Eighty-eight patients with thyroid malignancy seen at the Rigshospital, Copenhagen during the period 1.5.1989-1.5.1994 were retrospectively studied. There were 64 females and 24 males. The average age was 54 years. Seventy-nine patients were operated (six with subtotal and 73 with total thyroidectomy). Thirty-six (46%) had had previous thyroid operations and 12 of these patients had preoperative fine-needle aspiration biopsies performed. The second operation thyroidectomy specimen contained carcinoma in 14 (39%) of the 36 patients. Forty-nine patients (62%) had different types of modified neck dissection performed under the operation and 31 (39%) of the operated patients had lymph-node-metastases. Among the patients who were operated at the department there were no accidental permanent recurrent nerve paralysis. Among the 36 patients who were operated at other departments there were four (11%) accidental recurrent nerve paralysis from the primary operation. Twenty (25%) of the 79 operated patients developed permanent hypoparathyroidism.