Short-stay hospitalisation for benign thyroid surgery: a prospective study.
We report our prospective experience of short-stay hospitalisation for benign thyroid surgery. Post-operative outcome, complication rate and duration of hospitalisation were evaluated for 200 similar patients with bilateral multi-nodular goitres treated surgically by total thyroidectomy. All subjects gave written informed consent. A short-stay regimen, with discharge within 24 h of admission, was possible in 92.5 %. Fourteen (7 %) were discharged on the second post-operative day and one on the fourth post-operative day. Causes of the 15 delayed discharges beyond 24 h were 11 hypocalcaemia (5.5 %), 3 haematoma (1.5 %) and 1 dysphonia (0.5 %). All compressive haematoma were treated by urgent reoperation. No mortality occurred. None required tracheostomies. Transient complications were diagnosed in 36 cases: 25 with hypocalcaemia and 11 with recurrent laryngeal nerve injuries. Permanent complications were observed in three patients: two with hypoparathyroidism and one with nerve damage. All patients were carefully counselled about potential thyroid surgery complications and a 24-h emergency-contact number was provided. Short-stay hospitalisation represents safe and cost-saving surgical management for benign thyroid surgery.
Department of Human Pathology, University Hospital of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125, Messina, Italy. famafausto@yahoo.it
Fausto
F
Fama'
Cecile
C
Linard
Rosalia
R
Patti
Miles G
MG
Berry
Maria
M
Gioffre'-Florio
Arnaud
A
Piquard
Olivier
O
Saint-Marc
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome