Background: Although thyroid disease is known to have significant ethnic variability, ethnic disparities in outcomes of thyroid surgery have been poorly studied.
Method: Retrospective review of 716 consecutive thyroid operations at Counties Manukau Health, a public health provider in New Zealand, from January 2002 to August 2013.
Results: Compared with Europeans, Māori and Pacific Islanders have longer operation times (P < 0.001) and heavier thyroid glands (P < 0.001). Polynesians also had higher risk of post-operative haemorrhage compared with non-Polynesians (P = 0.016). They also have higher body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists scores and rates of smoking. There were no differences in length of inpatient stay and readmission rates.
Conclusions: There are significant ethnic differences in certain outcomes of thyroid surgery. Part of this may be explained by higher co-morbid characteristics.
Keywords: ethnicity; length of stay; outcome assessment (health care); thyroid disease; thyroidectomy.
© 2015 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.