Follow up study of thyroidectomy

One hundred thyroidectomized patients were followed up. The male:female ratio was 1:4. Majority (62%) of the patients were in the 4th and 5th decades. Multinodular goiter was the commonest lesion found in 74, diffuse colloid goiter in 12 and carcinoma in 14 cases. After operation, sixty-five patients were relieved of all preoperative symptoms of thyroid disease. Thirteen patients had some persistent symptoms. Rest 22 had developed different types of complication in addition to some preoperative symptoms. Three patients developed hoarseness of voice due to recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. Hypoparathyroidism occurred in 1, hypothyroidism in 4 and recurrent neck swelling in 14 patients. One patient died. It seems that a thorough knowledge of the surgical anatomy and meticulousness during the procedure would reduce the rates of such complications in future.