title: Postoperative complications of thyroid cancer in a single center experience.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the complications following surgical treatment of thyroid cancer and the association between the extent of surgery and complication rates. A total of 2,636 patients who underwent surgery due to thyroid cancer were retrospectively reviewed to identify surgical complications. Complication rates were assessed according to the extent of surgery, which was classified as follows; less-than-total thyroidectomy with central compartment node dissection (CCND) (Group I, n=636), total thyroidectomy with CCND (Group II, n=1,390), total thyroidectomy plus ipsilateral neck dissection (Group III, n=513), and total thyroidectomy plus bilateral neck dissection (Group IV, n=97). The most common surgical complication was symptomatic hypoparathyroidism, of which 28.4% of cases were transient and 0.3% permanent. The other surgical complications included vocal cord palsy (0.7% transient, and 0.2% permanent), hematoma (0.5%), seroma (4.7%), chyle fistula (1.8%), and Horner's syndrome (0.2%). The complication rates increased significantly with increasing the extent of surgery from Group I to Group IV. The more extensive surgery makes more complications, such as hypoparathyroidism, seroma, and others.
authors.affiliation: Thyroid Cancer Center, Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Sang
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kee-Hyun
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Woong Youn
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Hang-Seok
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Cheong Soo
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007011:Hypoparathyroidism / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010243:Paralysis / Q000209:etiology; D010280:Parathyroid Glands / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D049291:Seroma / Q000209:etiology; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*