| dc.description.abstract |
Objective. The present study reviews a series of patients
who underwent thyroid surgery in Eldoret, Kenya, to
demonstrate the feasibility of conducting long-term (.1
year) outcomes research in a resource-limited setting,
impact on the quality of life of the recipient population, and
inform future humanitarian collaborations.
Study Design. Case series with chart review.
Setting. Tertiary public referral hospital in Eldoret, Kenya.
Subjects and Methods. Twenty-one patients were enrolled
during the study period. A retrospective chart review was
performed for all adult patients who underwent thyroid sur-
gery during humanitarian trips (2010-2015). Patients were
contacted by mobile telephone. Medical history and physical
examination, including laryngoscopy, were performed, and
the SF-36 was administered (a quality-of-life questionnaire).
Laboratory measurements of thyroid function and neck
ultrasound were obtained.
Results. The mean follow-up was 33.6 6 20.2 months after
surgery: 37.5% of subtotal thyroidectomy patients and 15.4%
of lobectomy patients were hypothyroid postoperatively
according to serologic studies. There were no cases of goiter
recurrence or malignancy. All patients reported postoperative
symptomatic improvement and collectively showed positive
pre- and postoperative score differences on the SF-36.
Conclusion. Although limited by a small sample size and the
retrospective nature, our study demonstrates the feasibility
of long-term surgical and quality-of-life outcomes research
in a resource-limited setting. The low complication rates
suggest minimal adverse effects of performing surgery in this
context. Despite a considerable rate of postoperative
hypothyroidism, it is in accordance with prior studies and
emphasizes the need for individualized, longitudinal, and
multidisciplinary care. Quality-of-life score improvements
suggest benefit to the recipient population. |
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