Clinical and Economic Outcomes of Thyroid Surgery in Elderly Patients: A Systematic Review

The U.S. population is undergoing a dramatic shift in demographics, with a rise in the proportion of elderly Americans. Given an increased prevalence of thyroid disease and malignancy with age, understanding the safety of thyroid surgery in this age group is increasingly pertinent. There remains dis...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Michael C. Sullivan, Sanziana A. Roman, Julie A. Sosa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hindawi Limited 2012-01-01
Series:Journal of Thyroid Research
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/615846
Description
Summary:The U.S. population is undergoing a dramatic shift in demographics, with a rise in the proportion of elderly Americans. Given an increased prevalence of thyroid disease and malignancy with age, understanding the safety of thyroid surgery in this age group is increasingly pertinent. There remains disagreement regarding the clinical outcomes of elderly patients after thyroidectomy and the applicability of single-institution cohorts to the population at large. This paper reviews the epidemiology of thyroid disease in the elderly, current surgical indications and practice patterns, and the clinical and economic outcomes of elderly patients with thyroid disease after surgical intervention.
ISSN:2090-8067
2042-0072