• Kathryn Spanknebel, John A Chabot, Mary DiGiorgi, Kenneth Cheung, James Curty, John Allendorf, and Paul LoGerfo.
• Division of General Surgery, The New York Thyroid Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, 177 Fort Washington Avenue, MHB-7SK, New York, NY 10032, USA. ks2166@columbia.edu
• World J Surg. 2006 May 1;30(5):813-24.

BackgroundCritical appraisal of safety, feasibility, and economic impact of thyroidectomy procedures using local (LA) or general anesthesia (GA) is performed.MethodsConsecutive patients undergoing thyroidectomy procedures were selected from a prospective database from January 1996 to June 2003 of a single-surgeon practice at a tertiary center. Statistical analyses determined differences in patient characteristics, outcomes, operative data, and length of stay (LOS) between groups. A cohort of consecutive patients treated in 2002-2003 by all endocrine surgeons at the institution was selected for cost analysis.ResultsA total of 1,194 patients underwent thyroidectomy, the majority using LA (n = 939) and outpatient surgery (65%). Female gender (76%), body mass index > or = 30 kg/m2 (29%), median age (49 years), and cancer diagnosis (45%) were similar between groups. Extent of thyroidectomy (59% total) and concomitant parathyroidectomy (13%) were similarly performed. GA was more commonly utilized for patients with comorbidity [15% vs. 10%, Anesthesia Society of America (ASA) > or = 3; P < 0.001], symptomatic goiter (13% vs. 7%; P = 0.004), reoperative cases (10% vs. 6%; P = 0.01), and concomitant lymphadenectomy procedures (15% vs. 3%; P < 0.001). GA was associated with significant increase in LOS > or = 24 hours (17 % vs. 4%) or overnight observation (49 % vs. 14%), P < 0.001. Operative room utilization was significantly associated with type of anesthesia (180 min vs. 120 min, GA vs. LA, P < .001) and impacted to a lesser degree by surgeon operative time (89 minutes vs. 76 minutes, GA vs. LA; P = .089). Overall morbidity rates were similar between groups (GA 5.8 % vs. LA 3.2%). The actual total cost (ATC) per case for GA was 48% higher than for LA and 30% higher than the ATC for all procedures (P = 0.006), with the combined weighted average impacted by more LA cases (n = 217 vs. 85).ConclusionThese data from a large, unselected group of thyroidectomy patients suggest LA results in similar outcomes and morbidity rates to GA. It is likely that associated LA costs are lower.

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