Aim:
The aim of this study was to assess the effects of preoperative aspirin use on postoperative complications, especially risk of bleeding, in patients undergoing bilateral total thyroidectomy.
Methods:
A total of 201 patients who underwent bilateral total thyroidectomy between 15 August 2016 and 1 February 2019 were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups: preoperative aspirin group (n=42, 20%) and aspirin-naïve group (n=168, 80%). Parameters, including demographic characteristics, complications and length of hospital stay were compared between the groups.
Results:
Eight (4.4%) patients in aspirin-naïve group and three (7.1%) in preoperative aspirin group had minor hematoma and ecchymosis not requiring any intervention. There was only one patient in aspirin-naïve group (0.5%) who required surgical intervention due to bleeding in the postoperative period, whereas there were not any in the other study group.
Conclusion:
The results of this study showed that aspirin had no significant effect on the development of postoperative complications in patients undergoing bilateral total thyroidectomy. However, large-scale prospective and randomized series are warranted for more accurate and precise results.
Keywords: Thyroidectomy, anticoagulant, acetylsalicylic acid, hematoma, bleeding