Indications and complications of thyroidectomy: A retrospective analysis

Background: Thyroidectomy is a frequently performed operation used to treat benign and potentially hazardous thyroid-related disorders. Even though it functions properly, there is a likelihood that it will cause substantial issues. The objective of the research was to investigate at the explanations, rates of complications, and linkages between these incidents at a Jordanian tertiary care centre.

Methods: We examined 152 patients who experienced a thyroidectomy between January 2022 and May 2025 as part of a former cohort study. We gathered statistics about the patients' ages, genders, the type of surgery (hemithyroidectomy vs. total thyroidectomy), the specifics of the surgery, and any complications encountered afterward. Complications have been identified as hypocalcaemia (calcium levels below 8.0 mg/dL) or symptoms and recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) damage that was demonstrated by laryngoscopy. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and t-tests were used in statistical research.

Results: The population's median ages were 45.2±14.1 years, and 84.2% of them were women. The predominant rationale (61.8%) was a benign disease, with multinodular goitre (27.6%) and follicular adenoma (22.4%) coming in first and second, respectively. 38.2% of the samples were found to be cancerous, with papillary thyroid carcinoma being the most common type. From 30% (Category III) to 100% (Category VI) (p<0.001), the Bethesda System for cytology had a strong positive projection value for cancer. 32% of people who had the surgery ended up with an adverse outcome, with hypocalcaemia being the most prevalent (32%). There was a 38% higher rate of hypocalcaemia after a total thyroidectomy, compared to a 12% rate after a hemithyroidectomy (p<0.001). Diabetes mellitus has been demonstrated to be a major comorbidity-based risk factor for low calcium levels (43%, p<0.01). There was an important correlation between the manner of surgery and the reason for it. The total thyroidectomy group had a much higher rate of cancer (55.4%) compared to the other group (21.8%) (p<0.001). 

Conclusion: The vast majority of those in our local area have a thyroidectomy for ordinary disease, but many of them have a thyroidectomy for a malignant disease. Hypocalcaemia is the main problem, and it is highly related to undergoing a total thyroidectomy and diabetes. These results show how important it is to properly plan and carry out surgery, and they provide surgeons crucial details for consulting to patients before surgery and figuring out their risks.