Short-stay hospitalisation for thyroid surgery – a feasible option in a resource constrained community

Authors

Keywords:

short-stay, hospitalisation, thyroidectomy, complications, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Short-stay thyroid surgery is still nascent in developing nations like Nigeria. With the increasing cost of healthcare, there is consistently the need to reduce healthcare delivery costs. Short-stay services in selected cases meet this goal, in addition to other benefits of short hospital stays. This study aimed to highlight the feasibility of the practice of short-stay thyroidectomy in a rural tertiary hospital in Nigeria.

Methods: The study is a retrospective review of all patients who had short-stay thyroidectomy in a rural tertiary hospital in Nigeria from January 2017 to December 2021.

Results: The study reviewed 73 patients admitted for thyroidectomy on a short-stay basis within the study period. There were 70 (95.9%) females and three (4.1%) males, giving a ratio of 23:1 and a mean age of 39.8 years. Sixty-eight (93.2%) patients had no complications, and the others had minor complications that did not otherwise prolong their hospitalisation. Seventy-one (97.3%) patients were discharged within 24 hours of surgery, while two (2.7%) were discharged within 48 hours. There were no readmissions, and no mortality was recorded.

Conclusion: Short-stay hospitalisation for thyroid surgery is feasible and a viable alternative to the conventional 72-hour postoperative hospital stay in our setting.

Author Biographies

E Tagar, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital

Department of Surgery, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Nigeria

J Kpolugbo, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital

Department of Surgery, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Nigeria

AA Okomayin, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital

Department of Surgery, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Nigeria

C Odion, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital

Department of Surgery, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Nigeria

IM Chukwu, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital

Department of Anaesthesia, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Nigeria

HO Chukwuma, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital

Department of Surgery, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Nigeria

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Published

2024-10-17

Issue

Section

Endocrine Surgery