Utilization of thyroidectomy for benign disease in the United States: a 15-year population-based study

Background

Recent recommendations suggest that total thyroidectomy (TT) is the preferred treatment for benign thyroid disease. This approach remains controversial because of the increased risk of morbidity compared with a partial thyroidectomy (PT). The aim of this study was to determine the use of thyroidectomy for benign disease over a 15-year period.

Methods

One hundred nineteen thousand eight hundred eighty-five patients from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database (1993–2007) underwent surgery for benign thyroid disease. Logistic regression was used to assess the relation between extent of thyroidectomy and the year of admission, hospital volume, and surgical outcomes.

Results

The use of TT increased from 17.6% (1993–1997) to 39.6% (2003–2007) compared with 82.4% and 60.4% for PT over the same periods (P < .0001). A greater proportion of TTs was performed in high-volume centers in which the rates of postoperative complications were lower than low-volume centers.

Conclusions

The use of TT for benign thyroid disease has increased over the last 15 years in the United States. This pattern of practice is in keeping with the trends reported in recent literature.