Operationen bei benignen Schilddrüsenerkrankungen in Deutschland – Entwicklung von Fallzahl und Komplikationsraten im Verlauf von 10 Jahren

A continuous decrease in the frequency of operations for benign thyroid gland diseases over the course of 10 years in Germany could be confirmed. Additionally, a shift of operations towards hospitals with higher numbers of interventions could be demonstrated. The complication rates of permanent vocal cord paralysis and postoperative bleeding requiring revision have significantly declined. This reduction of complications could not be attributed to patient-specific risk factors or to the observed shift in the distribution of cases across hospitals.