Hospital volume as a predictor of outcomes following pediatric thyroidectomy

Abstract

Background Pediatric thyroidectomy (PT) is an uncommon procedure with a risk of significant morbidity. This study utilizes a national database to identify factors associated with short‐term (30‐day) post‐thyroidectomy complications in children with thyroid cancer. Methods The 2016 and 2012 Kids' Inpatient Databases (KID) were used in this study. All children with thyroid cancer undergoing thyroidectomy were included. Complications were categorized into endocrine, nervous, pulmonary, and other. Hospital volume was stratified into high‐volume (performing the top 10% of total cases, HVC) or non‐high‐volume centers (NHVC). Risk factors were analyzed using univariable and multivariable statistical tests. Results Six hundred and sixty‐three patients with an average age of 15.93 years met inclusion criteria. Most patients were seen in an NHVC (90.0%) and 37.3% of thyroidectomies were performed with neck dissections. The incidence of any complication was 32.1%. Endocrine complications were the most frequent (32.7%). Independent predictors of any or only endocrine complications were age (odds ratio [OR] = 0.927, p = 0.002, any; OR = 0.926, p = 0.003, endocrine) or concurrent neck dissection (OR = 1.679, p = 0.004, any; OR = 1.683, p = 0.005, endocrine). There was no statistically significant change in odds with hospital volume. Conclusions Further investigation into the effect of single surgeon versus hospital volume on the risk of complications in pediatric thyroid cancer surgery is warranted.