title: Cervical neck dissection without drains in well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma.
abstract: This study aims to review the safety of thyroidectomy combined with cervical neck dissection without drainage in well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma (WDTC). The medical records of consecutive patients who underwent thyroidectomy without drainage for WDTC were retrospectively reviewed.  Group 1 included 123 patients who underwent thyroidectomy with central neck dissection and Group 2 included 46 patients who underwent thyroidectomy with central and lateral neck dissection. One hundred twenty-seven patients underwent thyroidectomy without neck dissection and were included  in Group 3. Overall, 16 patients (5%) developed postoperative hematoma and/or seroma, seven patients (6%) in the Group 1, three patients (7%) in the Group 2, and six patients (5%) in Group 3. All patients had minor bleeding or seroma not requiring surgical intervention. Overall, 68 patients  (23%) had transient postoperative hypocalcaemia, and four patients(1%) had permanent hypoparathyroidism. Seventeen patients (6%) had transient postoperative hoarseness and three had permanent vocal cord paralysis (0.6%). The postoperative stay for all groups was 1 day in 91 per cent of the  cases. Patients from Groups 1 and 2 had no increased perioperative local complications or length of stay as compared with Group 3. Cervical neck dissection and thyroidectomy without drains is safe and effective in the treatment of WDTC.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Hotel Dieu de France Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon. dbabboud@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Bassam
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Abboud
authors.forename: Ghassan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sleilaty
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tannoury
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Daher
authors.forename: Gerard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Abadjian
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ghorra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D004322:Drainage; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck; D037981:Neck Dissection / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult