Racial disparities in comorbid conditions among patients undergoing thyroidectomy for Graves' disease: An ACS-NSQIP analysis

Background: Studies indicate that racial disparities exist in the presentation and outcomes of patients undergoing thyroidectomy for cancer and benign disease. We examined the relationship between race, pre-operative characteristics and outcomes in patients undergoing thyroidectomy for GD. Methods: Patients were identified from the 2013-2016 American College of Surgeons NSQIP database using ICD-9/10 codes consistent with diffuse toxic goiter. Results: AA patients were more likely to have an ASA classification of >= 3 (41% vs 30%, p < 0.001), a higher rate of CHF (2.1% vs 0.5%, p = 0.01), hypertension (46% vs 32%, p < 0.001) and dyspnea (10% vs 5%, p < 0.001) compared to Non-Hispanic Caucasians (NH-C) patients. Complications were higher in patients with ASA >= 3 and CHF but not affected by race. Conclusions: Analysis of a national database of thyroidectomy for GD revealed a higher burden of preoperative comorbidities in AA patients compared to other races, although race was not an independent predictor of outcomes. (C) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Racial disparities exist in patients undergoing thyroidectomy for benign disease, with African American patients showing more pre-operative comorbidities. However, race is not an independent predictor of surgical outcomes.