Optimal Surgical Extent in Patients with Unilateral Multifocal Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Multifocality increases the risk of recurrence in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC); however, it is unclear whether multifocality justifies more extensive or aggressive surgical treatment. Here, we evaluated the effect of the operative extent on the recurrence-free survival (RFS) of patients with multifocal PTC. Between 2010 and 2019, 718 patients with unilateral multifocal PTC were enrolled; 115 patients (16.0%) underwent ipsilateral thyroid lobectomy, and 606 patients (84.0%) underwent total thyroidectomy. With a mean follow up of 5.2 years, RFS was comparable between the total thyroidectomy and lobectomy groups (p = 0.647) after adjusting for potential confounders. Multivariable Cox regression analysis also demonstrated that the operative extent was not an independent predictor of recurrence (HR 1.686, 95% CI: 0.321–8.852). Subgroup analyses further indicated that both total thyroidectomy and thyroid lobectomy resulted in comparable RFS for multifocal PTC patients with other high-risk factors, including tumor size > 1 cm (p = 0.711), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.536), and intermediate ATA risk of recurrence (p = 0.682). In conclusion, thyroid lobectomy was not associated with the risk of recurrence in patients with multifocal PTCs. Multifocality in PTC may not always require aggressive surgery.

Comparing Two Approaches for Thyroidectomy: A Health Technology Assessment through DMAIC Cycle

Total thyroidectomy is very common in endocrine surgery and the haemostasis can be obtained in different ways across surgery; recently, some devices have been developed to support this surgical phase. In this paper, a health technology assessment is conducted through the define, measure, analyse, improve, and control cycle of the Six Sigma methodology to compare traditional total thyroidectomy with the surgical operation performed through a new device in an overall population of 104 patients. Length of hospital stay, drain output, and time for surgery were considered the critical to qualities in order to compare the surgical approaches which can be considered equal regarding the organizational, ethical, and security impact. Statistical tests (Kolmogorov–Smirnov, t test, ANOVA, Mann–Whitney, and Kruskal–Wallis tests) and visual management diagrams were employed to compare the approaches, but no statistically significant difference was found between them. Considering these results, this study shows that the introduction of the device to perform total thyroidectomy does not guarantee appreciable clinical advantages. A cost analysis to quantify the economic impact of the device into the practice could be a future development. Healthy policy leaders and clinicians who are requested to make decisions regarding the supply of biomedical technologies could benefit from this research.

The Influence of Prophylactic Calcium and Magnesium Supplementation on Postoperative Quality of Life and Hypocalcemia After Total Thyroidectomy: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: We want to investigate if a routine preoperative dietary supplementation of calcium and magnesium prior to thyroidectomy for nodular goiter and graves' disease can influence patients' outcome with regards to hypocalcemia associated symptoms and quality of life in order to reduce the risk of post-thyroidectomy hypocalcemia and to improve patient's quality of life.Methods: The study will be conducted as a two-armed randomized controlled trial including patients scheduled for total thyroidectomy. Patients assigned to the intervention group will receive calcium carbonate and magnesium oxide starting 2 weeks preoperatively. Primary outcome is the postoperative quality of life measured by the ThyPRO-39 and EQ-5D questionnaires. Secondary outcome is the assessment of postoperative biochemical (calcium and PTH levels) and clinical hypocalcemia (symptoms as reported by the patient).Discussion: A prophylactic dietary supplementation with calcium and magnesium, which could easily be implemented in the preoperative setting, could potentially help to avoid or reduce hypocalcemia-associated symptoms and improve quality of life. In the event of a positive outcome, this preoperative procedure can be an inexpensive way to prepare patients scheduled for thyroidectomy and can possibly reduce disease-specific costs by reducing the postoperative complication rate.Clinical Trial Registration: DRKS00017195 in the German clinical trials register (Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien, DRKS) on the 22.05.2019.

HYPOCALCEMIA IN TOTAL VERSUS SUBTOTAL THYROIDECTOMY

Objective: To compare the occurrence of hypocalcemia in patients undergoing subtotal and total thyroidectomy. Study Design: Comparative prospective study. Place and Duration of Study: Surgical departments of Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad and Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, from Mar 2018 to Feb 2020. Methodology: A total of 171 patients were selected for this study and they were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 consisted of 95 patients undergoing Total thyroidectomy whereas group 2 had 76 patients undergoing Subtotal thyroidectomy. It was a comparative prospective study and the groups were made by convenience sampling. The data was analyzed by SPSS-23. Results: In total thyroidectomy group Hypocalcemia was detected after 48 hours in 34 patients (35%) while in subtotal thyroidectomy group hypocalcemia was detected in 20 patients (28%). Tests for hypocalcemia were also done after two months of surgery and low levels were detected in 7 patients (7.5%) who had total thyroidectomy and in 2 patients (5%) in the group undergoing subtotal thyroidectomy. There was no significant difference in hypocalcemia after 48 hour (p=0.22) and 2 months postoperatively (p=0.6) between patients of Total Thyroidectomy and Subtotal Thyroidectomy. Conclusion: Total thyroidectomy is not associated with increased risk of permanent hypocalcemia as compared to Subtotal thyroidectomy. Because of its advantages Total thyroidectomy should be the preferred surgical procedure for patients presenting with benign euthyroid multi nodular goiter.

Association between multi nodular goitre and thyroid malignancy at a tertiary care centre

Background: Over the past few decades, the incidence of thyroid cancer has dramatically increased. Thyroid malignancy in multinodular goitre is considered to be high and these occult malignancies are detected only in post operative histopathological analysis. The study helps in finding association between multinodular goitre and thyroid malignancy. Objective was to find the association between multinodular goitre and thyroid malignancy in those who underwent total thyroidectomy.Methods: A cross sectional study conducted in department of general surgery, KIMS hospital, Bangalore. The 236 randomized cases of multinodular goitre who underwent total thyroidectomy were selected. Patients underwent thorough clinical examination pre operatively and were reassessed in post-operative period following surgery. Later, histopathology report on thyroidectomy specimen of the patients were obtained. This report was considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of thyroid malignancy.Results: Occult malignancies were commoner in middle aged females. Most of the patients in the study underwent total thyroidectomy. The prevalence of thyroid malignancy in our study was found to be 7.2%. In the study, 17 incidental malignancies were papillary carcinomas. It revealed a highly significant relation between the lymphocytic thyroiditis and occult malignancy (p<0.0001)Conclusions: The prevalence of malignancy in multinodular goitre is 7.2%. The only variant of incidental malignancy detected in histopathological examination of excised thyroid was papillary carcinoma. There is a statistically significant association between presence of thyroiditis in preoperative FNA and presence of occult malignancy carcinoma.

Intraoperative recurrent laryngeal nerve monitoring in unconventional thyroid surgery

The authors herewith present a case of a non-conventional use of endotracheal tube-based IONM in a second-stage total thyroidectomy for metastatic papillary cancer incidentally detected after OPHL Type IIa + ary left for SCC. The use of the IONM in such case was effective avoiding the RLN accidental injury.