title: Prospective study of postoperative complications after total thyroidectomy for multinodular goiters by surgeons with experience in endocrine surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  (1) To show that total thyroidectomy (TT) can be performed in multinodular goiter (MG) by surgeons with experience in endocrine surgery with a definitive complication rate of 1% or less; and (2) to analyze the risk factors for complications in these patients.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  There is current controversy over the role of TT in the treatment of MG; although there are potential benefits, high rates of complications are not acceptable in surgery for a benign pathology.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study was conducted on 301 MGs meeting the following criteria: (1) bilateral MG; (2) no prior cervical surgery; (3) operation by surgeons with experience in endocrine surgery; (4) no associated parathyroid pathology; (5) no initial thoracic approach; and (6) minimum follow-up of 1 year. Age, sex, time of evolution, symptoms, cervical goiter grade, intrathoracic component, thyroid weight, and presence of associated carcinoma were analyzed as risk factors for complications. The chi test and a logistic regression analysis were applied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complications were presented by 62 patients (21%), corresponding to 29 hypoparathyroidisms, 26 recurrent laryngeal nerve injuries, 4 lesions of the superior laryngeal nerve, 3 cervical hematomas, and 1 infection of the cervicotomy. The variables associated with the presence of these complications were hyperthyroidism (P = 0.0033), compressive symptoms (P = 0.0455), intrathoracic component (P = 0.0366), goiter grade (P = 0.0195), and weight of excised specimen (P = 0.0302); hyperthyroidism (relative risk [RR] 2.5) and intrathoracic component (RR 1.5) persisted as independent risk factors. Definitive complications appeared in 3 patients (1%), corresponding to 2 hypoparathyroidisms and 1 recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. Two cases corresponded to a toxic goiter, and the third to an intrathoracic goiter with compressive symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In endocrine surgery units, TT can be performed for MG with a definitive complication rate of around 1%; the main independent risk factors for the development of complications are hyperthyroidism and goiter size.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery and Digestive Apparatus I, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio Ríos
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Zambudio
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Riquelme
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Soria
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Canteras
authors.forename: Pascual
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parrilla
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D005260:Female; D006044:Goiter, Nodular / Q000601:surgery*; D006406:Hematoma / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006934:Hypercalcemia / Q000209:etiology; D007011:Hypoparathyroidism / Q000209:etiology; D061224:Laryngeal Nerve Injuries; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D061226:Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injuries; D012307:Risk Factors; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*