Study Says Thyroid Surgery is Riskier for Seniors
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Keith Brofsky/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Seniors who undergo thyroid surgery are more likely than younger patients to suffer from serious postoperative complications, Health Day reports.
Researchers said the findings challenge the prevalent belief that thyroid surgery for older patients is low-risk. Authors of the study analyzed data from almost 8,000 U.S. patients who had all or part of their thyroid gland removed. The risk of serious complications after surgery was double in patients ages 65 to 79 and five times higher in patients 80 and older, compared to younger patients.
The findings come from a recenty study that appears in the May issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
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