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Surgical Complications After Thyroid Surgery: A 10-Year Experience at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

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Abstract

To evaluate the incidence and predictive risk factors of complications in patients who underwent thyroid surgery at our hospital with a residency training program. This retrospective cohort study analyzed the complications in all patients who underwent thyroid surgery between January 2008 and December 2017. Demographic data, preoperative diagnosis based on fine needle aspiration cytology, surgical approach, permanent pathology, postoperative complications, and factors associated with complications were recorded. At our hospital, 456 patients underwent thyroidectomy. The most common surgical complications were asymptomatic biochemical hypocalcemia and symptomatic hypocalcemia in 109 (23.9%) and 50 (11%) patients, respectively. Other surgical complications included permanent hypocalcemia, transient vocal cord palsy, permanent vocal cord palsy, hematoma, seroma, chyle fistula, and Horner’s syndrome. Mean age > 45 years and more extensive surgery were significantly associated with overall complications (P = 0.003; < 0.001). Mean age > 50 years and vitamin D level < 25 nmol/L (< 10 ng/mL) were significantly associated with hypocalcemia (P = 0.008; < 0.001). Moreover, the extent of surgery and advanced thyroid carcinoma were significantly associated with vocal cord palsy (P < 0.001; 0.05). Hypocalcemia and vocal cord palsy are the most significant complications. Thyroid surgery can be performed safely by senior residents in the residency training program under the direct supervision of an experienced surgeon.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Section of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdulaziz Medical City, National Guard Health Affairs, P.O. Box 9515, Jeddah, 21423, Saudi Arabia

    Hadi A. Al-Hakami, Mohammed A. Al Garni, Moayyad Malas, Sultan Abughanim, Anas Alsuraihi & Thamer Al Raddadi

Authors
  1. Hadi A. Al-Hakami
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  2. Mohammed A. Al Garni
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  3. Moayyad Malas
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  4. Sultan Abughanim
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  5. Anas Alsuraihi
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  6. Thamer Al Raddadi
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Contributions

Hadi A. Al-Hakami—Study design, manuscript review and fund raising. Mohammed A. Al Garni—Concept design and mansucript review. Moayyad Malas—Manuscript writting, literature survey and statistical analysis. Sultan Abughanim—Data collection. Anas Alsuraihi—Data collection and literature survey. Thamer Al Raddadi—Data and statistical analysis.

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Correspondence to Hadi A. Al-Hakami.

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Authors have no conflict of interests, and the work was not supported or funded by any medical company.

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Informed consent was obtained from the participants with the option to withdraw them from the study at any time.

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Al-Hakami, H.A., Al Garni, M.A., Malas, M. et al. Surgical Complications After Thyroid Surgery: A 10-Year Experience at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 71 (Suppl 1), 1012–1017 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-019-01695-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-019-01695-x

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