Secondary central compartment surgery for thyroid cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To report surgical outcomes in a large series of patients with a history of thyroid cancer who underwent secondary central compartment surgery (SCCS).


METHODS
Retrospective chart review.


METHODS
The records of 44 patients who underwent 47 secondary central compartment surgeries for thyroid cancer were reviewed.


RESULTS
Metastatic nodal disease was found in 59.6% (28) central neck compartments. Remnant thyroid tissue was removed from 17 necks. The rate of transient and permanent vocal cord paralysis per SCCS was 2.1% and 6.4%, respectively. Transient and permanent hypoparathyroidism occurred in 11.9% and 9.5% of cases, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
SCCS is feasible but does carry some risk. The long-term implications of early intervention in this setting are still largely unknown and will warrant future research.
Ondik
Michael P
MP
Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, Penn State University School of Medicine, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033-0850, USA.
Dezfoli
Seper
S
Lipinski
Lindsay
L
Ruggiero
Francis
F
Goldenberg
David
D
D006801:Humans; D007011:Hypoparathyroidism / Q000453:epidemiology; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D014826:Vocal Cord Paralysis / Q000453:epidemiology