Complications Following Completion Thyroidectomy

Zahid Mehmood, Saad Abdul Razzak, Muhammad Naseem Baloch, Hammar Shahid, Rabiya Khan Buledi, Arsalna Javed

Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the complications in completion thyroidectomy after unilateral thyroid lobectomy and isthmusectomy due to malignancy in histopathology report.

Study design

Descriptive cross sectional study.

Place & Duration of study

This study was conducted in Surgical ward 25, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre Karachi, from January 2018 to December 2018.

Methodology

Fifty-seven patients who underwent completion thyroidectomy for the treatment of well differentiated thyroid cancer were included in this study. Patients with medullary, anaplastic and thyroid lymphoma were excluded. Serum calcium levels were monitored one day before the surgery and on 1st postoperative day. Written and informed consent was taken and data collected on pre-designed form.

Results

Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) was identified and preserved in all cases. One (1.7%) patient developed transient hoarseness of voice, 4 (7.01%) had transient hypocalcemia, and 2 (3.5%) patients developed seroma. One (1.7%) patient was re-explored on the same postoperative day for neck hematoma which caused dyspnea and tachypnea. No patient developed wound infection. No patient developed permanent hypoparathyroidism / hypocalcemia at 3 months follow-up.

Conclusion

Completion thyroidectomy can be safely used as a mainstay of treatment for well differentiated thyroid malignancies.

Key words

Thyroidectomy, Thyroid carcinoma, Completion thyroidectomy.