The impact of intraoperative "Nerve Monitoring" in a tertiary referral center for thyroid and parathyroid surgery.

The most fearsome complication in thyroid surgery is the temporary or definitive recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury. The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) on postoperative outcomes after thyroid and parathyroid surgery. From October 2014 to February 2016, a total of 80 consecutive patients, with high risk of RLN injuries, underwent thyroid and parathyroid surgery. They were divided in two groups (IONM group and control group), depending on whether neuromonitoring was used or not. We used the Nerve Integrity Monitoring System (NIM)-Response 3.0® (Medtronic Xomed®). The operation time (p = 0.014). and the length of hospital stay (LOS) (p = 0.14) were shorter in the IONM group. Overall mean follow-up was 96.7 ± 14.3 months. The rate of transient RLN palsy was 2.6% in IONM group and 2.5% in the control group (p = not significant). Only one case of definitive RLN injury was reported in control group. No differences were reported between the two groups in terms of temporary or definitive RLN injury. Routine use of IOMN increases the surgery cost, but overall, it leads to long-term cost savings thanks to the reduction of both operating times (106.3 ± 38.7 vs 128.1 ± 39.3, p: 0.01) and LOS (3.2 ± 1.5 vs 3.7 ± 1.5 days, p = 0.14). Anatomical visualization of RLN remains the gold standard in thyroid and parathyroid surgery. Nevertheless, IONM is proved to be a valid help without the ambition to replace surgeon's experience.

Total thyroidectomy versus thyroid lobectomy in the treatment of papillary carcinoma.

Extent of thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma is still matter of debate. Indeed, recently, international guidelines endorsed thyroid lobectomy as initial surgical approach for low risk, small medium-sized (T1-T2), N0 papillary thyroid carcinoma in absence of extrathyroidal extension. When dealing with a conservative surgery for oncologic disease is of utmost importance to exclude effectively more advanced disease, which could benefit from a more aggressive initial operation. However, in the setting of surgery for papillary thyroid carcinoma, despite an accurate preoperative work up could led to identify some suspicious characteristics as macroscopic evidence of multifocality or extrathyroidal extension, and/or evidence of lateral neck lymph node metastases, it is difficult to reliably assess the central neck nodal status both pre- and intra-operatively. Frozen section examination of the central neck nodes ipsilateral to the side of the tumor has been proposed in patients scheduled for thyroid lobectomy, in order to modulate the extension of both thyroidectomy and central neck dissection. Future molecular and genetic evidences are needed to establish high-risk patients with small papillary thyroid carcinoma in which thyroid lobectomy could be not and adequate surgical treatment.

Risk factors for local recurrence following lateral neck dissection for papillary thyroid carcinoma.

PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate risk factors for local recurrence following lateral neck dissection (LND) for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). METHODS: Two hundred and nine patients who underwent therapeutic primary or reoperative LND for PTC were included. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-one patients underwent primary LND at our Institution, the remaining 28 were referred for recurrence following LND outside the Institution. Comparing patients who required reoperation for recurrent lateral neck disease with those who did not recur, no significant difference was found concerning sex, tumor size, multifocal disease, extracapsular invasion, histological variant, pT stage (P = NS). At univariate analysis, age, mean number of removed lateral neck nodes at first operation, the extent of initial LND and surgery performed outside the Institution were risk factors for recurrence (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Limited LND and surgery performed at non referral Centers were non tumor-related risk factors for recurrence following therapeutic LND for PTC.

Is parathyroidectomy safe and effective in patients with normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism?

PURPOSE: Indications and advantages of parathyroidectomy in patients with normocalcemic primary hyperparathyroidism (NHPT) are still matter of debate. We aimed to compare clinical presentation and surgical outcome between normocalcemic and hypercalcemic forms in a consecutive series of patients who underwent parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism. METHODS: Data of 731 consecutive patients were reviewed and retrospectively compared according to normocalcemic (group A) and hypercalcemic (group B) phenotypes. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the two groups concerning demographics and symptomatic onset. Mean preoperative PTH levels were significantly higher in group B (252.0 ± 320.7 pg/ml vs 151.7 ± 112.0; p < 0.001). Mean PTH levels in first postoperative day were significantly lower in group B (30.9 ± 26.2 vs 22.7 ± 20.7; p < 0.001). No significant difference in overall accuracy of preoperative imaging studies was found. Significantly more patients in group A underwent bilateral explorations (83 vs 255; p < 0.05). The rate of multigland disease was significantly higher in group A (13.0 vs 6.8%; p < 0.05). At a mean follow-up period of 72.9 ± 46.8 months, all but three patients, among the 96 of group A who completed follow-up evaluation, were biochemically cured. The remaining patients had persistent high PTH values. Among NHPT patients who had target organ disease before parathyroidectomy, improvement in bone density and in kidney stones was observed in 41.7 and 40.0%, and stability in 50.0 and 60.0% respectively. CONCLUSION: In normocalcemic patients, parathyroidectomy is as safe and effective as in hypercalcemic patients. In the presence of symptoms and/or target organ disease, parathyroidectomy may have a positive effect on the outcome of NHPT patients.

Risk Factors for Central Neck Lymph Node Metastases in Micro- Versus Macro- Clinically Node Negative Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Tumor size has been advocated as possible risk factors for occult central lymph node metastases (CNM) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients. This prospective study evaluated factors that could identify patients at higher risk of occult CNM, especially comparing micro-PTC and macro-PTC. METHODS: One hundred and eighty-six patients were recruited. All the patients had cN0 clinically unifocal PTC and underwent total thyroidectomy and bilateral prophylactic central neck dissection. Risk factors for occult CNM in micro- and macro-PTC patients were evaluated. RESULTS: Eighty-two patients showed CNM. The rate of CNM did not differ among different sizes cut off (≤20 mm, ≤10 mm, ≤5 mm P = NS). Significantly more pN1a than pN0 patients had pT3 tumors (35/82 vs. 26/104) (P < 0.05), extracapsular invasion (35/82 vs. 22/104) (P < 0.01) and microscopic multifocal disease (50/82 vs. 47/104) (P < 0.05). Independent risk factors for CNM were extracapsular invasion and multifocality at multivariate analysis. Risk factors for CNM in 77 micro-PTC were extracapsular invasion (16/31 pN1 vs. 10/46 pN0, P < 0.05) and multifocality (21/31 pN1 vs. 16/46 pN0, P < 0.01). Among 109 macro-PTC, risk factors for CNM were angioinvasion (15/51 pN1 vs. 7/58 pN0, P < 0.05) and classic PTC at the final histology (PTC vs. tall cell variant vs. follicular variant PTC) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Risk factors for CNM can differ between micro- and macro-PTC, but no preoperatively known clinical parameter is predictor of CNM in cN0 clinically unifocal PTC.