CONTEXT: Thyroid disease is common, and thyroidectomy is a mainstay of treatment for many benign and malignant thyroid conditions. Overall, thyroidectomy is associated with favorable outcomes, particularly if experienced surgeons perform it. OBJECTIVE: To examine racial differences in clinical and economic outcomes of patients undergoing thyroidectomy in the United States. DESIGN, SETTING, PATIENTS: The nationwide inpatient sample was used to identify thyroidectomy admissions from 1999 to 2004, using ICD-9 procedure codes. Race and other clinical and demographic characteristics of patients were collected along with surgeon volume and hospital characteristics to predict outcomes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Inpatient mortality, complication rates, length of stay (LOS), discharge status, and mean total costs by racial group. RESULTS: In 2003-2004, 16,878 patients underwent thyroid procedures; 71% were white, 14% black, 9% Hispanic, and 6% other. Mean LOS was longer for blacks (2.5 days) than for whites (1.8 days, P < 0.001); Hispanics had an intermediate LOS (2.2 days). Although rare, in-hospital mortality was higher for blacks (0.4%) compared with that for other races (0.1%, P < 0.001). Blacks trended toward higher overall complication rates (4.9%) compared with whites (3.8%) and Hispanics (3.6%, P = 0.056). Mean total costs were significantly lower for whites ($5447/patient) compared with those for blacks ($6587) and Hispanics ($6294). The majority of Hispanics (55%) and blacks (52%) had surgery by the lowest-volume surgeons (1-9 cases per year), compared with only 44% of whites. Highest-volume surgeons (>100 cases per year) performed 5% of thyroidectomies, but 90% of their patients were white (P < 0.001). Racial disparities in outcomes persist after adjustment for surgeon volume group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that, although thyroidectomy is considered safe, significant racial disparities exist in clinical and economic outcomes. In part, inequalities result from racial differences in access to experienced surgeons; more data are needed with regard to racial differences in thyroid biology and surveillance to explain the balance of observed disparities.
CONTEXT: Thyroid disease is common, and thyroidectomy is a mainstay of treatment for many benign and malignant thyroid conditions. Overall, thyroidectomy is associated with favorable outcomes, particularly if experienced surgeons perform it. OBJECTIVE: To examine racial differences in clinical and economic outcomes of patients undergoing thyroidectomy in the United States. DESIGN, SETTING, PATIENTS: The nationwide inpatient sample was used to identify thyroidectomy admissions from 1999 to 2004, using ICD-9 procedure codes. Race and other clinical and demographic characteristics of patients were collected along with surgeon volume and hospital characteristics to predict outcomes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Inpatient mortality, complication rates, length of stay (LOS), discharge status, and mean total costs by racial group. RESULTS: In 2003-2004, 16,878 patients underwent thyroid procedures; 71% were white, 14% black, 9% Hispanic, and 6% other. Mean LOS was longer for blacks (2.5 days) than for whites (1.8 days, P < 0.001); Hispanics had an intermediate LOS (2.2 days). Although rare, in-hospital mortality was higher for blacks (0.4%) compared with that for other races (0.1%, P < 0.001). Blacks trended toward higher overall complication rates (4.9%) compared with whites (3.8%) and Hispanics (3.6%, P = 0.056). Mean total costs were significantly lower for whites ($5447/patient) compared with those for blacks ($6587) and Hispanics ($6294). The majority of Hispanics (55%) and blacks (52%) had surgery by the lowest-volume surgeons (1-9 cases per year), compared with only 44% of whites. Highest-volume surgeons (>100 cases per year) performed 5% of thyroidectomies, but 90% of their patients were white (P < 0.001). Racial disparities in outcomes persist after adjustment for surgeon volume group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that, although thyroidectomy is considered safe, significant racial disparities exist in clinical and economic outcomes. In part, inequalities result from racial differences in access to experienced surgeons; more data are needed with regard to racial differences in thyroid biology and surveillance to explain the balance of observed disparities.
Authors: Sherita Hill Golden; Arleen Brown; Jane A Cauley; Marshall H Chin; Tiffany L Gary-Webb; Catherine Kim; Julie Ann Sosa; Anne E Sumner; Blair Anton Journal: J Clin Endocrinol Metab Date: 2012-06-22 Impact factor: 5.958
Authors: Michael H Wood; Arthur M Carlin; Amir A Ghaferi; Oliver A Varban; Abdelkader Hawasli; Aaron J Bonham; Nancy J Birkmeyer; Jonathan F Finks Journal: JAMA Surg Date: 2019-05-15 Impact factor: 14.766
Authors: Alan Zambeli-Ljepović; Frances Wang; Michaela A Dinan; Terry Hyslop; Michael T Stang; Sanziana A Roman; Julie A Sosa; Randall P Scheri Journal: Surgery Date: 2019-07-06 Impact factor: 3.982
Authors: Adil H Haider; Valerie K Scott; Karim A Rehman; Catherine Velopulos; Jessica M Bentley; Edward E Cornwell; Waddah Al-Refaie Journal: J Am Coll Surg Date: 2013-01-11 Impact factor: 6.113