Quality of life and clinical outcome after thyroid surgery in children: A 13 years single center experience

• Published in: Journal of pediatric surgery Vol. 50; no. 10; pp. 1701 - 1706
• Main Authors: Stokhuijzen, Eva, van der Steeg, Alida F.W, Nieveen van Dijkum, Els J, van Santen, Hanneke M, van Trotsenburg, A.S. Paul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.10.2015
• Subjects: Adolescent; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Infant; Male; Pediatrics; Quality of Life; Retrospective Studies; Surgery; Surveys and Questionnaires; Thyroid Diseases - surgery; Thyroidectomy; Treatment Outcome; Clinical outcome; Children; Thyroid surgery; Adolescents; Quality of life
• ISSN: 0022-3468; 1531-5037
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2015.02.067

Abstract Background Given the low mortality of pediatric patients diagnosed with thyroid disease, quality of life (QoL) after thyroid surgery is very important. To organize the best possible patient care we analyzed our experience with respect to QoL and clinical outcome. Methods This is a single center, retrospective cohort study. Data of patients who underwent thyroid surgery < 19 years between January 2000 and December 2012 were collected. QoL was measured using the child health questionnaire child form (CHQ-CF87, < 18 years) and the World Health Organization quality of life assessment (WHOQOL-100, ≥ 18 years). Results Forty patients were included (mean age 13.7 years; 29 females (72.5%)). Twenty-six patients underwent total thyroidectomy (including 7 repeat surgeries), 14 underwent hemithyroidectomy. QoL assessment in 26 patients revealed lower physical QoL in patients with a current age < 18 years (n = 11) ( p < .001), but higher overall and physical QoL in patients ≥ 18 years (n = 15) compared with controls ( p = .01 and p = .036 respectively). Patients ≥ 18 years, who underwent total thyroidectomy experienced lower overall and physical QoL compared with those who underwent hemithyroidectomy ( p = .035 and p = .005 respectively). Conclusions Surgery for thyroid disease during childhood significantly affects QoL. However, QoL seems to improve with increasing age, and hemi-thyroidectomy has less negative effects on QoL than total thyroidectomy.