Postoperative hematomas after thyroid surgery. Incidence and risk factors in our experience.

AIM: The aim of our study was to evaluate the incidence and timing of postoperative bleeding and to identify the potential aetiological factors of cervical hematomas complicating thyroid surgery. MATERIAL: Between September 2002 and December 2009, 2559 patients were operated on in Department of Surgery, University Hospital of Cagliari. 2257 total thyroidectomies, 191 total thyroidectomies associated to lymphadenectomy, 83 total thyroidectomies associated to parathyroidectomy, 24 thyroid lobectomies and 4 lobectomies associated to parathyroidectomy were performed. RESULTS: 35 Patients (1.36%) developed a postoperative hematoma, 32 of whom (1.25%) needed a surgical revision. Male sex seemed to have a greater risk: 13 men (2.79% of all males) vs. 19 women (0.90% of all female cases) had to undergo haemostasis revision (p = 0.00204). 16 of 32 patients (50%) who underwent surgical revision had hypertension; incidence of hematoma was 2.09% in patients with hypertension and 0.89% in patients without it (p = 0.02112). DISCUSSION: It is generally difficult to predict which patients are at risk for the development of a hematoma after thyroid surgery. The most intense postoperative monitoring is necessary during the first six hours but hematomas occurring after are not rare. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative hematoma remains a rare but potentially life-threatening complication. Early recognition with immediate intervention is the key to the management of this complication. Because of the possibly long interval between the initial operation and the hematoma development, ambulatory and one-day thyroid surgery is not advisable.

[Emergencies in thyroid surgery. Our experience]. / Le urgenze in chirurgia tiroidea. Nostra esperienza.

The rate of complications after thyroid surgery is about 5% and among these real emergencies account for less than 1%, consisting in intraoperative and postoperative bleeding, bilateral recurrent palsy, severe hypoparathyroidism and, rarely, laryngeal oedema and tracheomalacia. Between 2000 and 2004 849 patients were submitted to total thyroidectomy for various thyroid pathologies in our institution. Complications observed were postoperative bleeding in 13 patients (1.5%), laryngeal recurrent nerve palsy in 18 (monolateral in 14 - 8 transient and 6 permanent - and bilateral in 4, 3 of which transient), transient hypoparathyroidism in 390 (45.9%), permanent hypoparathyroidism in 10 (out of 400 patients followed up for more than one year = 2.5%). Tetanic crises were observed in 33 patients (3.9%). One patient, on treatment with heparin, showed a glottic haemorrhagic oedema (probably caused by trauma after endotracheal intubation) treated by an emergency tracheotomy on postoperative day two. Thyroid surgery is today very safe and morbidity is rare. Anatomical knowledge and accuracy of surgical indications are the main factors capable of reducing the number of complications. Experience in performing thyroid surgery is essential for the best outcome with the fewest complications. Complications of total thyroidectomy can be minimised with increasing experience and refinement of surgical technique.

[Umbilical endometriosis. A case report]. / Endometriosi ombelicale. Descrizione di un caso clinico.

The Authors present a case of umbilical endometriosis. A 38-year-old female presented with a nodule in her umbilical region. The nodule was brownish in colour and had enlarged slowly, reaching a size of 2 cm in diameter over the previous 7 months. The patient had no symptoms and there was no bleeding or pain during menstruation. The nodule was removed under local anaesthesia and histological examination was diagnostic for umbilical endometriosis. No recurrence occurred over a follow-up period of 7 months and the patient is in good general condition. Umbilical endometriosis is a very rare disease, but should be borne in mind in the differential diagnosis of umbilical lesions.

[Substernal goiter: personal experience]. / Il gozzo cervico-mediastinico: nostra esperienza.

AIM OF THE STUDY: The Authors report on their experience in the surgical treatment of substernal goiter. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 1972 and 2004, 222 patients with substernal goiters were observed among 2720 patients undergoing surgical treatment for various thyroid diseases (8.16%). Seventy patients underwent subtotal thyroidectomy and 152 total thyroidectomy. A cervical approach was employed in 213 cases, a sternotomy was required in 7 patients while a thoracotomy was necessary in 2 cases. Postoperative complications were definitive hypoparathyroidism in 9 cases (4%), recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy in 5 patients (2.2%) and postoperative bleeding in 4 cases (1.8%); there was no intraoperative mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In substernal goiter it is necessary to define its exact relationship to neck and mediastinal structures in order to establish the most appropriate surgical approach. In the majority of the cases total thyroidectomy is possible through a cervical approach with an acceptable morbidity rate. When dissection of the substernal goiter is difficult and recurrent laryngeal nerve is not clearly identified, partial sternotomy is required to enable a better control of the nerve and the vessels with only a minimal morbidity rate. Thoracotomy is rarely necessary.