TY - JOUR
T1 - Morbidity following thyroid surgery
T2 - acceptable rates and how to manage complicated patients
AU - Minuto, M. N.
AU - Reina, S.
AU - Monti, E.
AU - Ansaldo, G. L.
AU - Varaldo, E.
PY - 2019/11/1
Y1 - 2019/11/1
N2 - Purpose: The endocrine surgeon and the endocrinologist should standardize how they deal with patients with an indication for thyroidectomy, as the road to surgery starts well before the operation itself. The patient should be thoroughly informed about where and how surgery will be performed, the postoperative improvements that can be expected, and the possibility and incidence of relevant complications. This short review aims at identifying the most common postoperative issues after thyroidectomy, with the relevant therapeutic suggestions. Methods: A revision of studies reporting the morbidity of thyroid surgery, involving the largest numbers of patients. Results: It has been clearly demonstrated that the outcome of thyroid surgery is significantly better when the procedure is performed by an experienced surgeon. Thus, the number of thyroidectomies performed by a surgeon should drive the endocrinologist when referring a patient. Conclusions: Despite the surgeon's experience, thyroidectomy is burdened by a relatively high rate of postoperative issues ranging from less severe ones to others causing significant changes in the patient’s quality of life. Minor, non-invalidating symptoms have been described in 40% of patients after thyroidectomy (e.g. hoarseness, mild dysphagia, some degree of voice alteration); however, these symptoms usually resolve within a few months of surgery, with or without early treatment. On the other hand, major postoperative complications are observed in a limited number of patients, but in these cases early diagnosis is important to provide the most appropriate postoperative treatment, and thus hasten full recovery or at least achieve the greatest possible improvement.
AB - Purpose: The endocrine surgeon and the endocrinologist should standardize how they deal with patients with an indication for thyroidectomy, as the road to surgery starts well before the operation itself. The patient should be thoroughly informed about where and how surgery will be performed, the postoperative improvements that can be expected, and the possibility and incidence of relevant complications. This short review aims at identifying the most common postoperative issues after thyroidectomy, with the relevant therapeutic suggestions. Methods: A revision of studies reporting the morbidity of thyroid surgery, involving the largest numbers of patients. Results: It has been clearly demonstrated that the outcome of thyroid surgery is significantly better when the procedure is performed by an experienced surgeon. Thus, the number of thyroidectomies performed by a surgeon should drive the endocrinologist when referring a patient. Conclusions: Despite the surgeon's experience, thyroidectomy is burdened by a relatively high rate of postoperative issues ranging from less severe ones to others causing significant changes in the patient’s quality of life. Minor, non-invalidating symptoms have been described in 40% of patients after thyroidectomy (e.g. hoarseness, mild dysphagia, some degree of voice alteration); however, these symptoms usually resolve within a few months of surgery, with or without early treatment. On the other hand, major postoperative complications are observed in a limited number of patients, but in these cases early diagnosis is important to provide the most appropriate postoperative treatment, and thus hasten full recovery or at least achieve the greatest possible improvement.
KW - Dysphagia
KW - Dysphonia
KW - Hypoparathyroidism
KW - Morbidity
KW - Thyroid surgery
KW - Thyroidectomy
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U2 - 10.1007/s40618-019-01064-z
DO - 10.1007/s40618-019-01064-z
M3 - Review article
C2 - 31124043
AN - SCOPUS:85066905905
VL - 42
SP - 1291
EP - 1297
JO - Journal of Endocrinological Investigation
JF - Journal of Endocrinological Investigation
SN - 0391-4097
IS - 11
ER -