Evacuation of postoperative hematomas after thyroid and parathyroid surgery: An analysis of the CESQIP Database

Same-day parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism -an over 20-year practice

INTRODUCTION

There has been a shift in recent years toward same-day parathyroidectomies due to the decrease in mutual costs with few significant differences in postoperative morbidity or mortality. We sought to determine if demographics, preoperative patient risk factors, or comorbidities were associated with a patient's likelihood of having same-day or inpatient surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A prospective database of parathyroid operations from 2001 to 2022 (n = 2948 patients) was reviewed for surgeries completed for primary hyperparathyroidism. Patients were categorized as same-day or inpatient surgery; demographics, risk factors, and co-morbidities were examined and differences across practice patterns during the 21-year period were studied and also analyzed in a subset of patients from 2013 to 2022.

RESULTS

In a recent subset of patients from 2013 to 2022, patients having inpatient surgery were more likely to be Black and use anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy. Multivariable regression confirmed increased odds of aging and black patients requiring inpatient parathyroidectomy. Compared to 2001-2003, there was a significantly increased proportion of patients undergoing same-day surgery; compared to 2010-2012, there was a similar proportion of patients undergoing outpatient surgery between 2013 and 2018, and there was an increased proportion from 2019 through 2022.

CONCLUSION

Same-day parathyroidectomies have been shown to be safe and has become the typical practice for high-volume parathyroid surgeons over the last decade. Complications such as postoperative hematoma or hypocalcemia were previously shown to be incompletely mitigated by increased LOS or inpatient surgery, although demographics are considered to increase the odds of inpatient parathyroidectomy.

Comparison of delayed bleeding to immediate bleeding following thyroidectomy

It is important to identify risk factors for post-thyroidectomy bleeding requiring airway intervention or reoperation. Therefore, we aimed to compare the characteristics of patients with postoperative bleeding after thyroid surgery according to the period until reoperation. We conducted a retrospective study analyzing data between April 2009 and July 2022 and included 126 patients who had postoperative bleeding. The patients were grouped according to the period between thyroidectomy and reoperation due to bleeding (0 day, 1-7 days, > 7 days). We performed among-group comparisons of patient characteristics and surgical aspects, including the extent of surgery. The ratios of male-female and lateral neck dissection were higher in the post-operative bleeding group than in the group without bleeding. In the analysis of patients with postoperative bleeding, grouped according to period between thyroidectomy and reoperation, there was a significant among-group difference in the male-female ratio. The male sex was positively correlated with the reoperation period. Further, the reoperation period was also positively correlated with total thyroidectomy and lateral neck dissection and the operation time showed a significant among-group difference. Our results indicate that the male sex and lateral neck dissection are risk factors for postoperative bleeding after thyroidectomy. Furthermore, male sex, total thyroidectomy, and lateral neck dissection are risk factors for delayed bleeding. Therefore, clinicians should consider these factors for interventions against immediate or delayed bleeding after thyroidectomy.

A comparison of NSQIP and CESQIP in data quality and ability to predict thyroidectomy outcomes

BACKGROUND

The Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program tracks thyroidectomy outcomes with self-reported data, whereas the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program uses professional abstractors. We compare completeness and predictive ability of these databases at a single-center and national level.

METHOD

Data consistency in the Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program and the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program at a single institution (2013-2020) was evaluated using McNemar's test. At the national level, data from the Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program and the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (2016-2019) were used to compare predictive capability for 4 outcomes within each data source: thyroidectomy-specific complication, systemic complication, readmission, and reoperation, as measured by area under curve.

RESULTS

In the single-center analysis, 66 cases were recorded in both the Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program and the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. The reoperation variable had the most discrepancies (2 vs 0 in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program versus the Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program, respectively; χ² = 2.00, P = .16). At the national level, there were 24,942 cases in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program and 17,666 cases in the Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program. In the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, 30-day thyroidectomy-specific complication, systemic complication, readmission, and reoperation were 13.25%, 2.13%, 1.74%, and 1.39%, respectively, and in the Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program 7.27%, 1.95%, 1.64%, and 0.81%. The area under curve of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was higher for predicting readmission (0.721 [95% confidence interval 0.703-0.737] vs 0.613 [0.581-0.649]); the area under curve of the Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program was higher for thyroidectomy-specific complication (0.724 [0.708-0.737] vs 0.677 [0.667-0.687]) and reoperation (0.735 [0.692-0.775] vs 0.643 [0.611-0.673]). Overall, 3.44% vs 27.22% of values were missing for the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program and the Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program was more accurate in predicting thyroidectomy-specific complication and reoperation, underscoring its role in collecting granular, disease-specific variables. However, a higher proportion of data are missing. The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program infrastructure leads to more rigorous data capture, but the Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program is better at predicting thyroid-specific outcomes.

A retrospective observational study of patients on maintenance hemodialysis receiving parathyroidectomy by ultrasonic scalpel

Background

Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) remains a common complication in many patients on maintenance hemodialysis. Kidney Disease Improve Global Outcomes (KDIGO) 2017 guidelines suggest that parathyroidectomy (PTX) should be performed in severe SHPT patients with chronic kidney disease stage 3a-stage 5D. In the present study, we observed the efficacy of ultrasonic scalpel for PTX in SHPT patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

Methods

A total of 74 patients on maintenance hemodialysis who underwent PTX (34 with traditional electrocautery and 40 with an ultrasonic scalpel) were observed between August 2020 and August 2021 at Xiangyang Central Hospital (Hubei University of Arts and Science). Baseline demographic and clinic characteristics were collected pre- and post-PTX. Moreover, the postoperative complications and operation time were assessed between the two groups.

Results

The univariate analysis showed that there was no statistical significance in weight, dialysis duration, serum potassium, serum calcium, serum magnesium, alkaline phosphate, triglyceride, and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) before and after PTX between the two groups (P > 0.05). The operation time in the ultrasonic scalpel group was significantly decreased compared with the traditional electrocautery group (P < 0.05). Compared with the traditional electrocautery group, the drainage amount was significantly reduced in the ultrasonic scalpel group, and the number of days with drain and postoperative hospital stay were also remarkably decreased (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The use of ultrasonic scalpel significantly reduced the operation time and postoperative hospital stay in patients on maintenance hemodialysis undergoing PTX.

Morbidity following thyroid and parathyroid surgery: Results from key performance indicator assessment at a high-volume centre in New Zealand

BACKGROUND

Complications following thyroid/parathyroid surgery include recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury, hypocalcaemia and return to theatre for haematoma evacuation. Rates of these form the basis of key performance indicators (KPI). An endocrine database, containing results from 1997, was established at the North Shore Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. We aimed to measure complication rates by procedure (thyroid and parathyroid), explore a temporal change in our unit and compare our results against international literature.

METHODS

A retrospective review of the database between July 1997 and February 2020 was performed. The results for each KPI were analysed in total and over consecutive time periods. A review of the literature was carried out to find international complication rates for comparison. A cumulative sum (CUSUM) analysis was performed to give visual feedback on performance.

RESULTS

There were 1062 thyroidectomies and 336 parathyroidectomies from July 1997 to February 2020. Thyroid surgery results found rates of temporary/permanent RLN injury of 1.9%/0.3%, temporary/permanent hypocalcaemia of 22.3/2.5%, and return to theatre for haematoma evacuation of 1.1%. Parathyroid surgery results were, temporary RLN injury of 0.8% (no permanent injury), temporary/permanent hypocalcaemia of 1.7%/0.4%, and return to theatre for haematoma evacuation of 0.3%. CUSUM analysis found KPI results to be comparable with international literature.

CONCLUSION

Our unit's KPI results are comparable to published results in the literature. The use of this clinical database will help in future monitoring of performance and help drive improvement in the service. Embedding prospective data collection as routine practice allows for continuous improvement for the unit.

Measuring neck circumference to predict and detect haemorrhage following thyroid surgery. A case series and literature review

Post-thyroidectomy bleeding is a fortunately rare but potentially life-threatening complication that may increase postoperative morbidity and hospital stay. In this case series, we demonstrate the relation between the measurement of neck circumference and haemorrhage following thyroid surgery and the value of this measurement in predicting post-thyroidectomy haemorrhage.

Currently, there is no simple and reliable method available for the early detection of post-thyroidectomy bleeding. Continuous pressure measurement could be a potential tool for the early detection of haemorrhage but is invasive, and more data are required to recommend threshold values for revision surgery. Early recognition and prompt surgical intervention are key to the management of cervical haematoma. Measurement of the neck circumference is a valuable adjunct tool in the early recognition of post-thyroidectomy bleeding. In this case series, we concluded that a 4-cm increase in neck circumference may trigger the clinical decision for cervical exploration.

Diabetes mellitus and hyperglycemia are associated with inferior oncologic outcomes in adrenocortical carcinoma

PURPOSE

Prior literature suggests that cancer patients with hyperglycemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) exhibit worse oncologic and overall outcomes. Tumor metabolism and anabolism pathophysiology may explain this association, although this has not been adequately studied in adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). We hypothesized that DM would be associated with worse oncological outcomes in ACC, and we utilized data from a national database and institutional sources for multimodal analysis.

METHODS

Both a multi-institutional database (the Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program or CESQIP) and a single-center longitudinal cohort (Dana Farber Cancer Institute or DFCI) were queried as unique retrospective cohorts to identify patients with ACC. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, DM-specific variables, and oncologic outcome data were assessed. Results were analyzed via univariate analysis and multivariable linear regression analysis. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05.

RESULTS

Forty-eight CESQIP patients met inclusion criteria; 16 (33.0%) had DM. DM patients had a higher frequency of recurrence on longitudinal follow-up (12.5% v 0.0%, p = 0.04). Persistent disease was observed in 68.8% of DM patients and 40.6% of non-DM patients (p = 0.06). Patients in the DFCI cohort with lower average glucose values (< 110 mg/dL) had a significant survival benefit (p < .0001). A mean serum glucose > 110 mg/dL had increased risk (HR 36.3, 95% confidence interval 1.6, 831.3) for all-cause mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

This multi-institutional, multimodal analysis suggests that patients with DM have worse oncologic and overall outcomes for ACC. While further study is warranted, consideration should be given among clinicians to optimize glycemic control as part of their ACC management.

Reoperation for Bleeding After Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery: Incidence, Risk Factors, Prevention, and Management

INTRODUCTION

Bleeding after thyroid and/or parathyroid surgery is a life-threatening emergency. The aim of this study was to determine the rates of reoperation following bleeding, identify risk factors, assess management strategies and outcomes, and develop protocols to reduce risk and improve management of bleeding.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study of all consecutive patients who underwent thyroid and/or parathyroid surgery over a 7-year period was conducted. A nested case-control design was used to evaluate specific factors and their association with reoperation for bleeding.

RESULTS

Of 1913 patients, 25 (1.3%) underwent reoperation for bleeding. Of the 25 patients who bled, 6 (24%) required reoperation before leaving theatre; 17 (68%) had bleeding within 6 h, 1 (4%) between 6 and 24 h, and 1 (4%) after 24 h. Reoperation for bleeding was not associated with age, gender, or surgeon. Patients who had total thyroidectomy were more likely to have reoperation for bleeding compared to hemithyroidectomy (p = 0.045) or parathyroidectomy (p = 0.001). The following factors were not associated with bleeding: neck dissection, re-do surgery, drain use, blood-thinning medication or clotting disorders, and BMI. Patients who had reoperation for bleeding had longer hospital stay (p = 0.001), but similar rates of RLN palsy, wound infection, and hypoparathyroidism.

CONCLUSION

A higher risk profile for significant post-operative bleeding cannot be determined in patients undergoing thyroid surgery. Based on this experience, we developed protocols to reduce the risk of bleeding (the ITSRED Fred protocol) and for the early detection and management of bleed (the SCOOP protocol) following thyroid and/or parathyroid surgery.

Parathyroidectomy for Tertiary Hyperparathyroidism: A Multi-Institutional Analysis of Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Patients with tertiary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) often experience delays between diagnosis and referral for surgical treatment. We hypothesized that patients with tertiary HPT experience similarly high cure rates and low complication rates after parathyroidectomy compared with patients with primary HPT.

METHODS

We retrospectively identified patients undergoing parathyroidectomy from the Collaborative Endocrine Surgery Quality Improvement Program for primary or tertiary HPT from January 2014 to April 2019. Patients were categorized according to their primary diagnosis and compared for cure rates and surgical complications.

RESULTS

The study included 9030 patients, with 334 (3.7%) being treated for tertiary HPT. Parathyroidectomy provided a high cure rate (93.7%) in patients with tertiary HPT. However, adjusting for age, sex, and prior thyroid or parathyroid surgery, tertiary HPT was associated with a greater chance of persistent disease than was primary HPT (odds ratio: 2.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.3-4.0). Overall, complications were low for patients across both groups. However, patients with tertiary HPT were more likely to present to the emergency department (7.5% versus 3.3%; P < 0.001), be readmitted (5.1% versus 1.1%; P < 0.001), and develop a hematoma (1.5% versus 0.2%; P = 0.002). Both groups of patients shared similarly low rates of other complications, including mortality, vocal cord dysfunction, and surgical site infections (P < 0.5% for all).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients undergoing parathyroidectomy for tertiary HPT experience high cure rates and low complication rates. However, tertiary HPT is associated with a greater chance of persistent disease and select complications. Nevertheless, the low rates of persistent disease and complications should not deter early referral for the treatment of tertiary HPT.

The effects of different degrees of head-of-bed elevation on the respiratory pattern and drainage following thyroidectomy: a randomized controlled trial

Background

The patient's position is important for ensuring patient comfort and preventing complications after thyroidectomy.

Objectives

This study was carried out to determine the effects of different degrees of head-of-bed elevation (HOBE) on the respiratory pattern and drainage following thyroidectomy and to provide suggestions for evidence-based clinical practice.

Methods

The sample of this prospective, parallel arm, randomized controlled trial included 114 patients undergoing thyroidectomy in a university hospital in Turkey. The patients were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to supine 0° (baseline), 30° and 45° HOBE groups. Respiratory pattern including respiratory rate (RR), peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂) and dyspnea, and drainage including amount of drainage and hematoma formation were evaluated at the 1^rd, 2^rd, 3^rd and 4^th hours following thyroidectomy.

Results

The majority of the patients (83.3%) were female and 84.2% had undergone total thyroidectomy. The mean RR (18.47, 95% CI=17.85–19.09) of the patients in the supine 30° HOBE group at the 1^rd hour was significantly higher than that of the patients in the supine 0° group (17.32, 95% CI=16.88–17.76; p<0.05). There was no significant difference between the SpO₂ values of the patients in the groups (p>0.05). The amount of drainage was significantly higher in the supine 0° group at the 2nd hour than that of the patients in the supine 45° HOBE group (5.92±5.18; 3.34±5.56 respectively; p<0.05). None of the patients in the groups had hematoma formation. While no patient in the supine 30° HOBE group had dyspnea, dyspnea occurred in 9 patients in the supine 0° group and in 3 patients in the supine 45° HOBE group.

Conclusion

This study showed that different HOBE positions resulted in clinically insignificant changes on the RR and amount of drainage during the first 4 hours following thyroidectomy but did not affect SpO₂ value.

Perioperative risk factors for post-thyroidectomy hematoma: Significance of pain and ketorolac usage

BACKGROUND

Post-thyroidectomy hematoma (PH) is uncommon but may be a life-threatening complication. We explored perioperative risk factors for PH, with emphasis on perioperative hemodynamics, pain, and medications.

METHODS

A retrospective case-control study was performed with matching for age, sex, and type of operation. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors.

RESULTS

In 1780 thyroid surgeries, 22 cases of PH were detected (1.24%). Antithrombotic agent usage, numeric rating scale (NRS) of postoperative pain, and two or more doses of ketorolac postoperatively significantly differed between the two groups. Multiple regression analysis revealed all three variables were significant risk factors for PH (odds ratio = 55.23, 10.48, and 22.58, respectively). Perioperative hemodynamics did not affect PH.

CONCLUSIONS

Antithrombotic agent usage, postoperative pain, and two or more doses of ketorolac postoperatively were identified as independent risk factors for PH. Proper pain control and judicious usage of ketorolac are recommended.