Post-operative care through tele-follow up visits in patients undergoing thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy in a resource-constrained environment

We conducted a pilot study to assess the feasibility of tele-follow up in post-operative cases of thyroid and parathyroid diseases. Patients were enrolled after operation at the tertiary hospital in Lucknow who consented to report to the telemedicine centre at Cuttack, approximately 1500 km away. Initially videoconferencing used a single ISDN line (128 kbit/s); subsequently a satellite-based connection (384 kbit/s) was employed. Patients were given a questionnaire to assess their satisfaction with tele-follow up and the financial and work-time savings incurred by them. Over a period of nearly four years, a total of 34 postoperative patients were followed up by telemedicine. A total of 66 tele-visit sessions were held. The average number of visits per patient was two (range 1-6). The nature of disease was benign in 17 patients and malignant in the other 17. The reasons for tele-follow up were: confirmation of histology report (n = 18), medication dosage adjustments (n = 24) and serum thyroglobulin monitoring (n = 5). The patients' level of satisfaction was very good (31%) or excellent (69%). There were substantial financial and work-time savings per visit. Tele-follow up is feasible after thyroid and parathyroid surgery for benign thyroid and parathyroid disorders and in patients with low-risk thyroid cancers. The technique ensures satisfactory postoperative follow-up.