ORIGINAL ARTICLE MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY OF THYROIDECTOMY FOR

Abstract: Background. Our objective was to evaluate mor-bidity and mortality of thyroidectomy in substernal goiters and identify patients at risk for these events. Methods. The medical records of 127 patients with sub-sternal goiters were retrospectively reviewed. Results. The most common preoperative symptom was shortness of breath (48%). 13 % of the 127 patients were asymptomatic. Preoperative imaging identified tracheal devia-tion in 69 % and tracheal compression in 41 % of the cases. Substernal goiters were resected via a cervical approach in 100 % of the cases. Six patients (5%) had postoperative hoarseness, 1 had permanent vocal cord paralysis, and 19 (15%) had transient postoperative hypocalcemia. The mortality and permanent hypoparathyroidism were null. Patients with postoperative complications had larger goiters and were more likely to have tracheal compression. Conclusions. Thyroid resection via a cervical approach for substernal goiters is associated with low rate of morbidity and no mortality. Patients with large tumors and tracheal compression are more likely to develop postoperativ