“Tracheomalacia after Thyroidectomy,” Does it Truly Exist?

Abstract

Aim: Tracheomalacia is a potentially life-threatening, but a rare complication of thyroidectomy. In previous studies, the incidence rate was very different. Considering the relatively high prevalence of goiter and thyroidectomy in the West Azerbaijan region, we designed this study to determine the tracheomalacia incidence in patients who underwent thyroidectomy within a 10-year interval. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was done in Urmia Imam Khomeini Hospital in West Azarbayjan Province. Demographic characteristics including the age and sex of patients who underwent thyroidectomy between 2007 and 2017 and also the incidence of tracheomalacia after surgery were recorded. Results: From 2007 to 2017, total 1236 thyroidectomy were performed. The patients' age ranged from 15 to 83-year-old with a mean age of patients was 44.5 ± 13.81 years old. Two hundred and twenty-nine patients (19%) were male and 1007 (81%) were female. We did not find any cases of tracheomalacia after thyroidectomy in our study population. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it seems that with the necessary precautions, the incidence of tracheomalacia can reach zero.