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Review
. 2025 Jun 18:27:52-60.
doi: 10.1016/j.sopen.2025.06.006. eCollection 2025 Sep.

Indications, sub-types and complications of surgically treated thyroid disease in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Bekalu Getachew  1 , Mekbeb Afework  2 , Girmaye Tamrat  3
Affiliations
Review

Indications, sub-types and complications of surgically treated thyroid disease in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Bekalu Getachew et al. Surg Open Sci. .

Abstract

Objectives: Thyroidectomy is a surgical procedure that reduces or removes the thyroid gland the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the pooled prevalence and sub-types of thyroidectomy and characterize its postoperative complications in some low and middle income African countries.

Methods: The studies were identified through an exhaustive search of reputable databases Twenty-two studies were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were extracted using a standardized and pre-tested data extraction checklist, and the analysis was done using STATA version 14 statistical software. Heterogeneity was assessed using I2 statistics.

Result: Toxic goiters were the most common indication for thyroidectomy accounting for 46.62 % of cases. Cosmetic reasons (41.07 %) and suspicion of malignancy (11.30 %) were the other common indications. Regarding surgical procedures, sub-total thyroidectomy (39.27 %) was the predominant surgical procedure, followed by lobectomy and isthmusectomy (34.88 %) and near-total thyroidectomy (34.77 %) respectively. The pooled prevalence of postoperative complications following thyroidectomy was 26.6 % [95%CI, 18.3-34.89]. Hypoparathyroidism (8.49 %) was the most common complication, followed by recurrent laryngeal nerve injury (7.96 %) and dysphonia (7.28 %).

Conclusion: A toxic goiter was the most common indication for thyroidectomy. The pooled prevalence of postoperative complications was comparably higher than international figures. Hypoparathyroidism was the predominant postoperative complication.

Keywords: Africa; Complications; Patterns; Surgical management; Thyroid disease; Thyroidectomy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flowchart on selection of systematic review and meta-analysis of thyroid disease in Some African Countries, 2022.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Results of Funnel plot and Egger Test for Toxic goiter in some African countries, 2022.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Forest plot on the pooled prevalence (frequency) of sub-total thyroidectomy in some African countries, 2022.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Forest plot on pooled frequency of Lobectomy and Isthmusectomy in some African countries, 2022.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Forest plot on the pooled frequency of Lobectomy in Some African Countries, 2022.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Forest plot on the pooled frequency of total thyroidectomy in Some African Countries, 2022.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Forest plot on near-total thyroidectomy in Some African Countries, 2022.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
A forest plot on post-operative complications following thyroidectomy in Some African Countries, 2022.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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