Does Thyroidectomy Impact Quality of Life: Retrospective Case-Control Study of Post-Thyroidectomy Patients and Matched Individuals from the General Population

Assessment of Patients' Quality-of-Life Post-Thyroidectomy

INTRODUCTION

The assessment of quality of life (QOL) after thyroidectomy has been a focus of medical research, aiming to understand its impact on patients' overall well-being and functional status. Studies have examined the physical, psychological, and social dimensions of QOL, providing valuable insights into the outcomes of thyroidectomy and improving patient care. The aim of the study is to evaluate the long-term impact of different aspects of patients' quality of life post-thyroidectomy.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted in Taif City and included 100 participants post-thyroidectomy. Data were collected from medical records and telephone interviews using the modified Arabic version of the EROTC QLQ-H&N43 questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using R software version 4.2.2.

RESULTS

The majority of the 100 participants were female (76%), and most were over 50 years old (38%). The types of surgery performed included hemithyroidectomy (36%), subtotal thyroidectomy (6%), and total thyroidectomy (58%). Participants reported difficulties related to their senses, body satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, eating, speaking, and social interactions. Pain in the mouth and jaw, as well as swallowing difficulties, showed variations among the surgery groups. Other symptoms, such as tooth problems, dry mouth, and swelling in the neck, did not differ significantly among the groups. Numbness in the hands or feet was associated with a subtotal or total thyroidectomy. Difficulties with enjoying meals, eating in front of others, and communication issues showed variations among the surgery groups.

CONCLUSION

This study provided insights into the QOL of thyroidectomy survivors in Taif City. Participants reported challenges related to sensory, body, and sexual issues, as well as difficulties with eating, speaking, and social interactions. The findings highlight the need for interventions and support to address these challenges and optimize the QOL of thyroidectomy patients. Furthermore, research is warranted to explore specific factors contributing to these difficulties and to develop targeted interventions for better patient outcomes.

The quality of life after trans oral video-assisted thyroidectomy and cervical thyroidectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Trans oral video-assisted thyroidectomy (TOVAT) is increasingly performed for cosmetic reasons. The quality of life after thyroidectomy is important for decision-making. This is the first meta-analysis to compare the quality of life among conventional transcervical thyroidectomies. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the same in the current literature. The authors systematically searched PubMed, Google Scholar, and EBSCO for relevant articles from the first published to December 4, 2022. The keywords endoscopic transoral via vestibular thyroidectomy, transcervical thyroidectomy, conventional thyroidectomy, scarless thyroidectomy, and quality of life were used. Out of the 482 studies retrieved, 27 full texts were reviewed, and only six fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patients with transoral thyroidectomy showed better quality of life that their counterparts who underwent transcervical thyroidectomy at 4-6 weeks following surgery, odd ratio, 2.26, 95% CI, 2.02-2.5, P-value <0.001. Substantial heterogeneity was observed, I² for heterogeneity, 100%. The quality of life was better among patients who underwent the trans oral video-assisted thyroidectomy (TOVAT) compared to their counterparts with the conventional cervical approach (surgical questionnaire). All the components of the SF-36 quality of life questionnaire were better among TOVAT compared to the conventional approach except for social and general health components, which were equal between the two arms. Further multi-center studies with larger samples and controlling for pain and the surgical curve are needed.

Clinical evaluation of fenestration decompression combined with secondary curettage for ameloblastoma of the jaw: retrospective radiographic analysis

Background

Ameloblastoma is a benign odontogenic epithelial tumor with local infiltration and a high recurrence rate that occurs most frequently in the jawbone. The aim of this study was to investigate the outcomes of fenestration decompression combined with secondary curettage (FDSC) in the surgical treatment of jaw ameloblastoma, and clarify the possibility of FDSC to become an appropriate therapeutic method for ameloblastoma with large lesion.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was carried out in 145 patients diagnosed with multicystic ameloblastoma (MA) and 88 patients with unicystic ameloblastoma (UA). These patients were divided into two groups based on the therapeutic regimen: the FDSC group and the local curettage (LC) group. Panoramic radiography was taken 2 years after curettage to evaluate the change in lesion area in each case, and the therapeutic effects of different treatment methods were further assessed by the chi square test.

Results

For MA, the effective rate of cystic cavity area reduction in the FDSC group (71.19%) was higher than that in the LC group (30.23%) (P < 0.001). For UA patients, the effective rate of lesion area reduction after FDSC was 93.02%, which was higher than that after LC (53.33%) (P < 0.001). Moreover, the recurrence rate of the FDSC group in the MA was 30.51%, which was significantly different from that of the LC group (P < 0.001). Regarding UA, the recurrence rates were 13.95% and 28.89%, after FDSC and LC, respectively, with no significant differences between the two groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

FDSC exhibits a much better curative effect than LC in both MA and UA, whereas the recurrence rate of these two therapeutic strategies did not significantly differ in UA. The above data demonstrated that FDSC may serve as a routine, safe, effective and appropriate surgical treatment plan for MA or UA patients with large lesions.

Appearance characteristics of incision, satisfaction with the aesthetic effect, and quality of life in of thyroid cancer patients after thyroidectomy

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the correlation between satisfaction with aesthetic effect (SAE) and quality of life (QoL) in thyroid cancer patients after thyroidectomy and identify the impact of appearance characteristics of scars on SAE.

METHODS

This prospective, single-centre, cross-sectional study from November 2018 to June 2019 enrolled 285 thyroid cancer patients three months after their thyroidectomy. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 was used to assess QoL 3 months after thyroidectomy, while the Patient Scar Assessment Scale (PSAS) was used to assess the SAE of patients.

RESULTS

The mean PSAS score was 35.00, and the mean QoL score was 69.96. Correlation analysis demonstrated that PSAS was negatively correlated with QoL score. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that age, marital status, radiotherapy, surgery type, neurological deficits, and PSAS were independent risk factors with decreased QoL. Furthermore, correlation analysis showed that scar colour, stiffness, thickness, irregularity and length were positively correlated with poor PSAS. Scar irregularity and length were independent risk factors with poor PSAS.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that scar irregularity and length were independent risk factors with SAE, and poor SAE was correlated with decreased QoL in thyroid cancer patients after thyroidectomy.