RESULTS
Of the 77 patients included in our study, 14(18.2%) were male and 63 (81.2%) were female. The male to female ratio was approximately 1:4. Ages of the patients at the time of surgery were ranging from 19 to 75 with a mean 47,1±10,6. Final surgical specimen pathology was diagnosed as malignant for 28 patients (36,4%) and benign for 49 patients (63,6%). Of the 28 malignant patients, 25 of them were papillary carcinoma and its variants, 2 of them follicular carcinoma and 1 of them was Hurthle cell carcinoma. Twenty-five (32,5%) patients required secondary (completion) surgery for malignant pathologies. Secondary surgeries were contralateral thyroid lobectomies in early postoperative period for proper follow up and/or effective radioactive iodine treatment. After the surgery and nuclear medicine consultation, 20 patients required radioactive iodine ablation treatment. After the surgeries and at least 1 year follow up period, 4 patients encountered unilateral vocal fold paralysis and diagnosed as permanent vocal fold paralysis. None of the patients required laryngeal framework surgery for vocal fold paralysis. None of the patients encountered hematoma and required reoperation for hematoma control.
The mean overall satisfaction score was 1,6 (1: normal 10: worst) and the vast majority of the patients (74/77, 96.1%) were satisfied with their surgical scars. Only 3 patients (3.9%) have 6 or more overall satisfaction score. The digital photographic examples of some patients were shown in Figure 2a,b,c,d.
Mean OSAS score was 6,91±3,27 (ranging between 5 to 29) and PSAS score was 9,16±6,01 (ranging between 6 to 34). There was a moderate statistically significant relationship between observer scar assessment scale (OSAS) scores and patient scar assessment scale (PSAS) scores. (r=0,364 p=0,001).
Significantly higher OSAS scores were observed in patients who have secondary (completion of contralateral lobectomy) surgery and radioactive iodine treatment (p<0,001 p=0,034 respectively).