Clinical Investigation

The Effective Risk Factors on Postoperative Complications in Benign Thyroid Surgery

  • Ali Dogan BOZDAG
  • Mehmet Hakan ÇEVIKEL
  • Ahmet Ender DEMIRKIRAN
  • Hakan ERPEK
  • Sükrü BOYLU
  • Hedef ÖZGÜN

Received Date: 03.11.2002 Accepted Date: 30.12.2002 Meandros Med Dent J 2002;3(3):25-29

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the risk factors for postoperative complications after benign thyroid surgery. The most frequent complications after thyroid surgery are recurrent laryngeal nerve and superior laryngeal nerve injury, hypoparathyroidism, bleeding, hematoma, wound infection and flap edema. These complications may influence the life quality of the patient. Method: In Adnan Menderes University Department of General Surgery, 224 patients who underwent thyroid surgery were evaluated retrospectively for postoperative complications. Age, gender, antithyroideal treatment, thyroid disease, recurrent goitre, ligation of inferior thyroid artery, identification of nervus recurrens and parathyroid glands, extent of resection and usage of drains were investigated for morbidity. Total thyroidectomy was found to be the only statistically significant (p=0.001) risk factor. Conclusion: The complication risk following wide resection of the thyroid gland should be prevented by a meticulous surgicaltechnique.

Keywords: Thyroid surgery, complications, recurrent laryngeal nerve, total thyroidectomy