Iatrogenic Tracheal Injury During Hemithyroidectomy: A Case Report

Iatrogenic tracheal injury (ITI) can occur in operations, intubation or tracheobronchial endoscopy. ITI associated with hemithyroidectomy is a very rare but devastating complication which can manifest immediately or in a delayed manner. The therapeutic approach can be conservative or surgical, but there is no universal consensus on the management. In this article, we described a rare case of intra-operative tracheal injury involving the cricothyroid membrane and right posterolateral first to second tracheal rings during right hemithyroidectomy, in which primary suturing was attempted. However, on the sixth day postoperatively, the patient developed neck swelling and respiratory distress owing to infection at surgical site complicated with temporary vocal cord palsy, which necessitated a tracheostomy. Patient was subsequently managed successfully with conservative management. We concluded that the therapeutic approach of ITI should be based on the time of presentation, clinical condition of the patient, size and location of the lesion.