Cervical compression due to benign thyroid disorders is not associated with increased postoperative morbidity.
Compressive symptoms due to malignant thyroid disorders and retrosternal goiter have been shown to be associated with increased perioperative morbidity. However, little is known about the risk associated with the surgical management of patients presenting with cervical compressive symptoms secondary to benign thyroid disorders. A retrospective review of data of patients undergoing thyroid surgery in a tertiary referral center was performed. The outcomes of patients with compressive symptoms due to benign thyroid disorders were compared to those of patients without compressive symptoms. 886 patients operated upon between 2005 and 2012 were included for analysis. 284 cases with compressive symptoms (study group) were compared to 602 cases without compressive symptoms (control group). There was no difference in the duration of surgery among both groups (123 vs. 126 min, p = 0.75). There was no significant difference among both groups with regard to postoperative hypocalcemia (1.4 vs. 1.1 %), rate of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (6.3 vs. 7.2 %) and postoperative bleeding (2.1 vs. 3.1 %). Compressive symptoms resolved in a significant number of patients following surgery. There was no significant difference in postoperative outcome between patients with and without compressive symptoms. Therefore, cervical compression due to benign thyroid disorders is not associated with increased perioperative morbidity.