BACKGROUND Thyroidectomy is a surgical procedure which is commonly performed by surgeons worldwide, but the outcome and complication rates were mainly dependent on the surgeon’s skill and experience, indication and the extent of surgery and the number of thyroid surgeries performed at that particular centre. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of the postoperative complications after thyroid surgery in Sri Venkateswara Ramnaraian Ruiya Government General Hospital, Tirupati. METHODS A prospective study conducted on 100 patients with thyroid swelling who attended the Sri Venkateshwara Ramnaraian Ruya Government General Hospital, Tirupati. Patient age, sex, rural/urban origin, history, diagnosis, type of surgery, laboratory investigation such as complete blood, serum calcium, thyroid function test, us culture and sensitivity test in wound infections and indirect laryngoscopy for all pre-operative patients and postoperative voice change patients. Outcomes recorded as a complication of thyroid surgery within one week. RESULTS Totally 100 patients were enrolled in the study. Thyroid enlargement was more common in females (F: M =5.6:1) presenting in 3rd and 4th decades mostly with the mean age and standard deviation were 42.92 years and 13.097 years respectively. Total thyroidectomy was the most common procedure performed (44 %) followed by hemithyroidectomy (31 %), subtotal thyroidectomies (29 %) and near total thyroidectomy (5 %). On histopathological examination most common finding was multinodular goiter (54 %) followed by nodular goiter (33 %) and malignancies (10 %). The overall postoperative complication rate was 47 %. The most common postoperative complications after thyroidectomies were seroma formation in wound complication (27 %), followed by hypocalcemia (11 %), recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury (3 %), and surgical site infection (2 %). Majority of these complications were found to be associated with total thyroidectomy, female population, and in patients with age more than 30 years. CONCLUSIONS Seroma formation in wound complication is the commonest post thyroidectomy complication. Female gender, old age, and extensive thyroid surgery were associated with increased complication rate. KEYWORDS Post-Operative Complications, Thyroid Surgery
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