[Thyroidectomy without drainage]

Abstract

Recent randomized series did not support routine prophylactic drainage after thyroidectomy. We undertook a prospective study in order to evaluate the effectiveness and the morbidity of a non drainage strategy after thyroidectomy. Between april 1993 and may 1995, one hundred fifty consecutive patients underwent thyroidectomy without drainage. During this period, two thyroid cancers were treated by total thyroidectomy with a modified radical neck dissection and drainage; they are not included in the study. Age range was 16 to 72 years. Sex ratio was 126F/124M. Indication for surgery was: solitary nodule (16), multinodular goiter (56), Graves' disease (21), toxic nodular goiter (34), cancer (8), retrosternal goiter (13), thyroiditis (2). The surgery done was: total lobectomy + isthmusectomy (15), total lobectomy + subtotal controlateral thyroidectomy (42), bilateral subtotal thyroidectomy (84), total thyroidectomy (9). Surgical technique was identical to that used previously by the author when drainage was installed routinely. Patients left the hospital on the first or second postoperative day and were reexamined on day 7 and day 30. There was no mortality, no suffocating hematoma, no reoperation and no laryngeal nerve paralysis. One patient developed a transient hypocalcemia that regressed one month later. Two patients developed a minor hematoma of which one disappeared after two weeks and the other drained spontaneously through the surgical incision on the seventh postoperative day. We conclude that drainage after thyroidectomy has no adverse effects and can be avoided if meticulous surgery is done. Absence of drainage simplifies the early postoperative course, improves the comfort of the patient, decreases hospital stay and reduces hospital cost. However, drainage may be of value in case of hemostatic problems or associated cervical neck dissection.