Higher Post‐Operative L‐Thyroxine Dosage Needed After Right Compared to Left‐Lobe Hemithyroidectomy
Carola Deischinger, Michael Krebs, Thomas Scherer, Christian Scheuba, Alexandra Kautzky‐Willer, Lana Kosi‐TreboticABSTRACT
Purpose
Usually, the right lobe of the thyroid gland is larger than the left lobe. Post hemithyroidectomy, the remaining lobe grows by up to 30% as compensation. Thyroxine replacement is still necessary for 22%–60% of all patients. We aimed at investigating whether a right‐lobe hemithyroidectomy requires higher postoperative levothyroxine dosages.
Patients and Methods
426 adult patients who received a hemithyroidectomy and a follow‐up visit (median 9 months post‐surgery) at the Medical University of Vienna between 1994 and 2018 were identified and investigated in this retrospective study with a weight and pre‐surgery TSH‐adjusted model.
Results
Patients required a higher mean levothyroxine dosage after right‐lobe hemithyroidectomy (mean = 68.1 μg/day, p = 0.018) compared to the left lobe (mean = 60.2 μg/day).
Conclusion
Patients require roughly 13% more levothyroxine substitution after hemithyroidectomy of the right lobe compared to the left lobe, which should be considered in post‐op care.