Total thyroidectomy for multinodular goiter in the elderly

Background Total thyroidectomy for multinodular goiter (MNG) is increasingly being performed for the elderly population and yet their perioperative and long-term outcomes remain unclear. Methods A total of 279 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy for MNG in a university-based hospital during a 9-year period were analyzed according to their age at the time of operation. Results The duration of operation (P = .023), intraoperative blood loss (P = .030), weight of resected thyroid glands (P < .001) and proportion of retrosternal goiter (P < .001) were significantly greater in the elderly group (≥70 years) (n = 55), but the incidence of surgically related complications, including recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy and hypoparathyroidism, was similar. Postoperative pneumonia occurred more frequently in the elderly group (P = .034). The number of comorbidities tended to correlate with the length of hospital stay and long-term survival in elderly patients. Conclusions Total thyroidectomy for MNG in elderly patients had a similar perioperative outcome as their younger counterparts, but their long-term outcome is likely to be influenced by the number of comorbidities.