Thyroidectomy adverse events for differentiated thyroid carcinoma

Introduction: postoperative complications after thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) can affect endocrine function and quality of life. Knowing its frequency and pattern is essential to optimize clinical follow-up. Objective: to describe post-thyroidectomy morbidity in patients with DTC, emphasizing the endocrinological and functional implications. Material and methods: were included 100 patients with DTC (92% women; 95% CI accurate: 84%–96%), mean age 41.7 ± 15.4 years. The 95% had total thyroidectomy. Postoperative complications, pattern (reversible functional, permanent structural, mixed) and number per patient were recorded. Associations with type of surgery, age, and sex were analyzed using χ², t-test, RR, OR with 95% CI, and Fisher exact test when appropriate. Results: the 60% had at least one complication, mainly transient hypoparathyroidism (43%; 95% accurate CI: 33–53%) and permanent (8%; 95% CI accurate: 3–15%). Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury occurred in 2% (95% CI: 0.2–7%) and surgical wound infection in 1% (95% CI: 0%–5%). Most events were reversible functional (72%). Age and sex were not associated with the presence of complications. No significant association was found between type of surgery and complications (RR = 1.53; OR = 2.32 [95% CI: 0.53–10.1]; Fisher p = 0.24). The average number of complications per patient was 0.7 ± 0.9. Conclusions: in this series, most post-thyroidectomy complications were mild and reversible, mainly affecting parathyroid function. The findings underscore the importance of endocrinological and functional follow-up after DTC surgery, offering relevant data for clinical management and follow-up planning.