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Research Paper | Otorhinolaryngology | Saudi Arabia | Volume 12 Issue 4, April 2023
Emergency Room Visits Following Thyroid Surgeries in Johns Hopkins Aramco Health Care
Hind Alshammari | Abdulaziz Alabidi | Mohammed Gamal Aly [2]
Abstract: Background: One of the most frequent procedures today is thyroidectomy, which is typically done when a malignancy is suspected or when the thyroid gland is enlarged, causing local compressive symptoms or cosmetic disfigurement. Thyroidectomy has potential risks and complications, just like other surgical procedures. The most frequent surgery - related intraoperative complications of thyroidectomy, aside from anesthesia - related issues, are recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, parathyroid gland injury, and excessive bleeding as a result of significant vascular injury or poor hemostasis. Postoperative complications include hypocalcaemia, surgical wound infection, and airway compromise from paralyzed vocal folds or hematoma accumulation. Early detection of these complications can reduce further morbidity and avert mortality. To prevent terrible outcomes, careful surgical techniques must be used in conjunction with in - depth postoperative evaluation. Thyroidectomy is generally safe; however, it is associated with some complications, which may require an emergent hospital visit and hospital readmission. Aim: To examine the rate of emergency room visits within 30 days after thyroid surgery. Methods: This was a cross - sectional, retrospective study that looked at people who had surgery on their thyroid and then went to the emergency room within 30 days. The data were collected from the records of patients during the years 2018?2022. Results: Patients who underwent thyroid surgery were included; most of the patients were females (78.4%), and the largest proportion performed a total thyroidectomy (63.2%).51 (14.6%) patients out of 350 visits to the emergency room Almost all patients have a high BMI (98.2%). Only 5.1% of patients who underwent thyroid surgeries present to the emergency room for symptoms related to hematoma or hypocalcaemia. Surgical site pain and other nonspecific causes were the major causes of the visits. Conclusion: The findings of the current study showed that emergency room visits after thyroidectomy are not uncommon, but the number of visits related to serious clinical morbidities is low. Further study is needed to analyze and follow up on the causes and outcomes of the visits.
Keywords: Thyroidectomy, Emergency room visits, readmissions, hematoma
Edition: Volume 12 Issue 4, April 2023,
Pages: 697 - 701