Pain after minimally invasive videoassisted and after minimally invasive open thyroidectomy--results of a prospective outcome study.

BACKGROUND

Substantial modifications in surgical treatment of thyroid disease have changed the postoperative management of thyroidectomized patients. The reduction of postoperative pain permit a short-stay surgery.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

We have analyzed the patients treated in our Unit from July 2006 to December 2006, with minimally invasive cervicotomy and mini-invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy. We have registered the postoperative pain applying an evaluation protocol numeric scale. The results were analyzed by t test.

RESULTS

One hundred thirteen patients were divided in two groups: group A, minimally invasive cervicotomy (15 male and 46 female patients); group B, mini-invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy (9 male and 43 female patients). Upon returning to the ward, the pain scale group A vs B was 2.77 +/- 1.16 vs 2.5 +/- 0.762 (p = 0.22) .At 24 h after surgery, the pain scale in group A was 1.82 +/- 1.258 vs 1.031 +/- 0.8608 (p < 0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

Both methods are safe, but mini-invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy gives not only a better cosmetic result but a reduction of postoperative pain especially at 24 h.