고령 갑상선암 환자의 갑상선 절제술의 안정성

Safety of Thyroidectomy in Thyroid Cancer Patients Older than 75 Years

Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and the feasibility of thyroidectomy for aged (≥ 75 years old) thyroid cancer by reviewing postoperative morbidity and pathologic characteristics. Materials & Methods: The clinical records of patients submitted to thyroid operation between 2014 and 2015 with histopathological diagnosis of thyroid cancer were analyzed. Clinical variables included age, gender, pre-operative symptom, final pathology, length of stay, comorbidities, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, postoperative complications, and mortality. Results: There were 30 patients aged more than 75 years old, and only one patient passed over with postoperative pneumonia. There were 8 male and 22 female patients. Half of the patients presented with symptoms such as palpable mass (33.3%), voice change (6.7%) and dyspnea (6.7%). The pathologic diagnosis was thyroid cancer in all cases. The median postoperative hospitalization time was 4 days. There was one perioperative mortality case observed in this study. Conclusion: Thyroid surgery in patients 75 years or older can be performed except extensive surgical resection. Aggressive histology and extent of surgery may be an important factor of perioperative mortality and morbidity.