• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1479-1483
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to determine discharge learning needs of patients undergoing thyroidectomy. The population of this descriptive study consisted of patients undergoing thyroidectomy in the Endocrine Surgery Unit of a university hospital between February and December 2013. The study included 251 patients who were discharged after thyroidectomy. Data obtained using the data collection form and the Patient Leaning Needs Scale (PLNS) were analyzed by frequency, mean, standard deviation, Kruskal Wallis and student-t tests. The mean age of the patients was $47.91{\pm}13.05$ and 76.1% were females. The PLNS total mean score was $208.38{\pm}34.91$, with the maximum score of $39.23{\pm}6.80$ on the subscale of treatment and complications and the minimum score of $19.45{\pm}4.70$ on the subscale of feelings related to condition. It was found that the PLNS total score of the patients was not influenced by age, gender, marital status (p>0.05). This study demonstrated that patients had high learning needs after thyroidectomy.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.17-22
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• 2017

Background and Objectives: Voice change after thyroidectomy may develop without injury of recurrent laryngeal nerve. Psychogenic or emotional factors related to voice change after thyroidectomy has been rarely studied. In this study, we sought to analyze the impact of anxiety on early state of post-thyroidectomy voice change. Materials and Methods: We made a retrospective chart review of 36 patients who underwent thyroidectomy for papillary thyroid carcinoma and voice exam before surgery, 2 weeks after and 1 month after surgery. All patients included in the study answered a questionnaire for State-Trait Anxiety Inventory ; STAI-KYZ (form Korean YZ). Clinico-pathologic factors and parameters of voice analysis were reviewed to analyze correlation to the anxiety index. Results: No differences were identified between clinicopathologic factors and preoperative parameters of voice analysis between patients with higher and lower level of anxiety. Noise to harmonic ratio (NHR) was higher in those patients with higher level of anxiety, 2 weeks after surgery (p=0.043). However, none of the parameters showed any difference 1 month later. Conclusion: With limited number of patients and short period of follow up, significant impact of preoperative anxiety on postoperative voice change after thyroidectomy could not be identified in this preliminary study.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.5-14
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare body image, depression, and climacteric symptoms among middle-aged women with and without thyroidectomy. Method: The research design was a comparative descriptive study using a self-report questionnaire. A total of 102 women aged 40~59 years were recruited using a convenient sampling method. A total of 52 women out of 102 were within a year after thyroidectomy due to benign disease. The rest of the subjects were healthy women without any previous diseases in thyroid. The instruments included Body Image Concern Inventory, Climacteric symptoms, and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, $x^2$-test, one-way ANOVA, and correlation analysis. Results: There were no significantly differences in age, education, menstruation states between women with and without thyroidectomy. The demographic characteristics of two groups were homogeneous. There were significantly statistical differences in body image (t= 8.456, p=.000), and depression (t=3.142, p=.002) between the groups. There was, however, no significantly differences of climacteric symptoms. In addition, in women with thyroidectomy, no significant associations were found among body image, depression, and climacteric symptoms. Conclusion: The findings demonstrated the need to develop an effective nursing intervention to increase body image and to reduce depression in middle-aged women after thyroidectomy.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.50-55
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• 2002

Objectives: Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy with favorable histologic and prognostic characteristics. Total or near total thyroidectomy has been used as a standard surgical procedure. The aims of this study are to determine the extent of resection of thyroid gland and to find the influencing factors of lymph node metastasis. Materials and Methods: The authors reviewed the records of 194 patients of thyroid cancer surgically treated at Department of General Surgery, Inje University Busan Paik Hospital from January, 1996 to December, 2000. Pathologic classifications, surgical procedures, and lymph node metastasis were analyzed. Results: There were 163 women and 31 men. The age ranged from 12 to 79 years old (mean age 43.2 years). The histological classifications of 194 cases revealed papillary cancer in 171 cases (88.1%), follicular cancer in 17 cases (8.8%), undifferentiated cancer in 3 cases (1.6%), medullary cancer in 2 cases (1.0%) and mixed cancer in 1 case (0.5%). Among the 194 patients, lobectomy was perfomed in 31 patients, subtotal thyroidectomy in 30 patients, near total thyroidectomy in 82 patients and total thyroidectomy in 51 patients. In the subgroup of papillary carcinoma 141 cases with lymph node dissection, lymph node metastasis had no statistical significance according to sex, age and primary tumor size. Conclusions: The mainly performed surgical procedures were total thyroidectomy and near total thyroidectomy. In thyroid cancer surgery, the extent of resection was influenced by age, differentiation and primary tumor size. The lymph node dissection should be decided by lymph node metastasis identified by preoperative radiologic evaluation or intraoperative lymph node findings.

• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.183-191
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• 2006

Thyroid nodules are less common in children than in adults and their management is still controversial. The clinical presentations, operations, complications, histopathologic findings, and postoperative progressions of 34 pediatric patients that underwent thyroidectomy for palpable thyroid nodule at the Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Children Hospital between 1986 and 2003 were studied retrospectively by reviewing medical records and telephone interviews. The mean age of the patients was 11.8 years old. There were 23 females (67.6 %) and 11 males (32.4 %). Surgical indications were clinical need of histological confirmation (n=15), unresponsiveness to thyroxin replacement therapy (n=10), suggestion of the carcinoma on fine needle aspiration cytology (n=5), cosmetic purpose-a huge benign nodule (n=2), completion thyroidectomy for medullary thyroid carcinoma (n=1), and prophylactic thyroidectomy in a MENIIpatient (n=1). Unilateral Lobectomy was performed in 20 patients (57.1 %), subtotal thyroidectomy in 8 (22.9 %), total thyroidectomy in 5 (14.7 %), and completion thyroidectomy in 1 (2.9 %). Lymph node dissection was performed in 9 cases. Benign tumor was found in 23 patients (67.6 %), adenomatous goiter (n=18) and follicular adenoma (n=5). Malignant tumor was found in 11 children (32.4 %), 9 papillary carcinomas (26.5 %), and 2 medullary carcinomas (5.9 %). Of the 9 papillary carcinomas, 7 cases (77.8 %) had lymph node metastasis. No lymph node metastasis was found in 2 medullary carcinomas. Complications developed in 5 cases - transient hypocalcaemia (n=2), and temporary hoarseness (n=3). There was no mortality. Median follow-up period was 7.4 years (0.5-18 years). One patient showed recurrence in cervical lymph nodes 10 years after surgery and modified radical neck dissection was performed. Because of the high incidence of malignancy and advanced stage at initial presentation, more meticulous diagnostic work up is necessary for children with thyroid nodule, and more radical surgical treatment should be performed when malignant nodule is suggested.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.214-219
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• 1998

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of the low-dose(30mCi) I-131 ablation therapy for remnant thyroid tissue following total thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid cancer. Methods: Between March 1995 and December 1997, forty-eight patients were given ablative doses(30mCi) of I-131 after total thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid cancer in the presence of I-131 uptake in remnant thyroid tissue. Effective ablation of remnant thyroid tissue was determined by following I-131 whole body scan. if remnant thyroid tissue remained, we repeated the same management at 6 months interval. Results: Thirty-eight(79.1%) patients had papillary, 8(16.7%) follicular, 1(2.1%) medullary and 1(2.1%) Hurthle cell type cancer. Forty-eight patients underwent total thyroidectomy, among those central neck dissection was performed in 35 cases, and modified radical neck dissection in 14 cases. Postoperative complication developed in 8 cases, which included 4 cases of transient hypoparathyroidism, 1 case of permanent hypoparathyroidism, 2 cases of transient recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy, and 1 case of wound hematoma. There were significant remnant thyroid tissue in 46 cases(95.8%) of patients after total thyroidectomy, which could be ablated by low dose(30mCi) I-131. There were no statistical difference between operative procedures and number of treatment of I-131. Conclusions: These results suggested that repeated low-dose(30mCi) I-131 therapy would be needed, therefore, high -dose I-131 therapy could be considered as ablation therapy for the remnant thyroid tissue after total thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid cancer.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.37-41
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• 2010

Background and Objectives : Transient minor voice changes after thyroidectomy are not infrequent complaints even in cases without any evidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve damage. However, clinical course, diagnosis and management of such voice changes are not fully understood. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics of minor voice changes after thyroidectomy. We also tried to assess the significance and feasibility of superior laryngeal nerve monitoring and to find out the optimal evaluation tools for such voice changes after thyroidectomy. Materials and Method : Nine adult patients who received total thyroidectomy without evidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury were enrolled for this prospective study. Voice evaluations were performed preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively ; acoustic analyses including voice range profile, aerodynamic study, stroboscopic evaluation and subjective voice assessment with questionnaires. The external branch of superior laryngeal nerve was monitored by nerve stimulator after ligation of superior thyroidal vessels. Results: Four of nine patients complained their voice change at 3 months after the surgery. Three of them reported complete recovery of their voice at 6 months after the surgery. Acoustic analysis revealed significant decrease in their phonatory range especially with high tone loss. Questionnaires related to singing was more sensitive than previously well-known "voice handicap index". Stimulation of the superior laryngeal nerve was feasible in most of the cases (94.4%), but it failed to show any correlation with minor voice changes after thyroidectomy. Conclusion : Minor voice changes were not rare events during the first 6 month after thyroidectomy. Decrease in phonatory range with high tone loss and therefore, discomfort in singing was the most common finding. Superior laryngeal monitoring was feasible but it was not a sensitive tool for the prediction of minor voice change after thyroidectomy.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.103-113
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• 2013

Objectives: Thyroid cancer is the most common cancer for female in Korea. This study aims to report the effects of Korean medicine on complications after total thyroidectomy and neck dissection in the papillary thyroid carcinoma. Methods: The 3 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma were treated by Korean medicine such as acupuncture, moxibustion and pharmacopuncture therapy. We evaluated the results of treatments by change of symptoms. Results: After treatments such as acupuncture, moxibustion and pharmacopuncture therapy except herb medicine, the symptoms of complications after total thyroidectomy and neck dissection were improved. Conclusions: This study shows that Korean medicine has effects on complications after total thyroidectomy and neck dissection in the papillary thyroid carcinoma.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.95-104
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• 2012

Thyroidectomy patients may have vocal paralysis or paresis, resulting in a breathy voice. The aim of this study was to investigate the aerodynamic and acoustic characteristics of a breathy voice in thyroidectomy patients. Thirty-five subjects who have vocal paralysis after thyroidectomy participated in this study. According to perceptual judgements by three speech pathologists and one phonetic scholar, subjects were divided into two groups: breathy voice group (n = 21) and non-breathy voice group (n = 14). Aerodynamic analysis was conducted by three tasks (Voicing Efficiency, Maximum Sustained Phonation, Vital Capacity) and acoustic analysis was measured during Maximum Sustained Phonation task. The breathy voice group had significantly higher subglottal pressure and more pathological voice characteristics than the non breathy voice group. Showing 94.1% classification accuracy in result logistic regression of aerodynamic analysis, the predictor parameters for breathiness were maximum sound pressure level, sound pressure level range, phonation time of Maximum Sustained Phonation task and Pitch range, peak air pressure, and mean peak air pressure of Voicing Efficiency task. Classification accuracy of acoustic logistic regression was 88.6%, and five frequency perturbation parameters were shown as predictors. Vocal paralysis creates air turbulence at the glottis. It fluctuates frequency-related parameters and increases aspiration in high frequency areas. These changes determine perceptual breathiness.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.10-14
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• 2005

Objectives: Various techniques of endoscopic thyroidectomy have been developed in thyroid resection since 1998 in the aspect of excellent cosmetic viewpoint. Of them, we evaluated our experiences and advantages of gasless axillary approach technique for resection of dominant thyroid nodules. Material and Methods: Twenty-nine cases of thyroid nodules were operated by the technique of gasless axillary approach during one year from December 2003 to December 2004. Twenty four patients underwent total lobectomy and five patients were partial lobectomy. Results: The operation time of first case took 300 minutes, however it became gradually shortened with case experiences down to 100-120 minutes. Pathologically, nodular hyperplasia was twenty cases, follicular adenoma five cases, papillary carcinoma three patients, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis one patient. There was no case of conversion to open thyroidectomy. Three cases of postoperative hoarseness were recovered spontaneously in 3 months. Hospital stay was four days for most patients. The cosmetic result was excellent without visible scar in anterior neck and chest. Conclusion: Endoscopic thyroidectomy via gasless axillary approach shows excellent result in cosmetic view point with hidden incision scar at axilla, and shorter hospitalization. However a question of longer operation time for dissection of the long plane over pectoral muscle is still remained.