Partial Versus Total Thyroidectomy

Abstract

National and international guidelines about thyroid surgery seem to be moving more and more towards less radical surgical procedures but everyday practice does not seem to always align with them. We describe for the first time the role of non-surgical parameters in the surgeon's choice for thyroid surgery. Objective: The ain of this study was to describe thyroid surgery and to identify the factors leading to either a total or a partial thyroidectomy regardless of the severity of the thyroid disease. Summary Background Data: National and international guidelines about thyroid surgery seem to be moving more and more toward less radical surgical procedures but everyday practice does not seem to always align with them. Methods: We based this nationwide retrospective cohort study on a national database that compiles discharge abstracts for every admission for thyroidectomy to French acute healthcare facilities (PMSI database 2010 to 2019). Results: In this study, 375,810 patients (male: 23%; age = 53 ± 15 years) had a thyroidectomy (partial: 28%) for cancer (17%), hyperthyroidism (16%), nonfunctioning goiter (64%), or other (3%). We noticed a global trend toward more partial thyroidectomy (P < 0.001) with a significant increase in the proportion of lobectomy in the post-ATA recommendations’ period (P < 0.001) as well as in the “French Levothyrox crisis” period, in which we saw an unexpected rise of adverse events notifications associated with the marketing of a new formula of Levothyrox (P < 0.001) amid widespread media coverage. In a multivariate analysis, we also identified that complete resection was more frequently performed in centers with a caseload >40/year [P < 0.001, odds ratio (OR) = 1.48], for obese patients (body mass index >30 kg/m2; P < 0.001, OR = 1.42), and according to the indication of surgery (OR benign = 1, OR cancer = 2.25, OR hyperthyroidism = 4.13). Conclusion: We describe for the first time the role of non-surgical parameters in the surgeon's choice for thyroid surgery.