Study on quantification of drain in intracapsular thyroidectomies

Abstract

Introduction: Disease of the thyroid gland is common with prevalence of 4–7% in the general population. The incidence being higher in endemic areas. Thyroidectomy is an important procedure done for majority of thyroid swellings, after which drains are placed. Our study aims to assess the postoperative drain fluid amount in thyroidectomies done using intracapsular dissection technique. Materials and Methods: Retrospective study of 170 patients who underwent hemi/subtotal/total thyroidectomies using intracapsular dissection in Chigateri District Hospital and Bapuji Hospital, Teaching Hospitals, attached to JJM Medical College, Davangere during March 2009 to July 2015. All patients fulfilling inclusive criteria are included in the study. The drain was removed after 48 h of surgery. The amount of drain present was measured before removal of the drain. Results: Total number of 170 cases were analyzed. We found that the drain fluid amount was drastically less when compared with thyroidectomies done using other techniques. Conclusion: Drain fluid amount was minimal with thyroidectomies done using intracapsular dissection technique.