An observational study to assess the feasibility of thyroidectomy performed under regional vs general anesthesia at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Sri Lanka

Objective: This study was conducted to assess the feasibility of thyroid surgery under RA focusing on duration of hospital stay, post operative complications and post-operative pain compared to GA.
Methodology: A total of 70 patients (35 in each group) with an indication for thyroidectomy were included in the study, while those with retrosternal extension, lymph node involvement and allergy to RA were excluded. Patients were allocated to RA/GA upon individual choice after obtaining their informed written consent. RA was given by ultrasound guided bilateral superficial cervical plexus block. Data on demographics, surgical time, post operative pain score, duration of hospital stay, and postoperative complications were documented. Data analysis was performed by Independent Sample T test and Fishers Exact test using IBM SPSS Statistics version 24. 
Results: Patients in each group had similar baseline characteristics. The RA group had a significantly shorter post-operative hospital stay (p < 0.05) and lower postoperative pain at discharge (p < 0.05).  GA group had significantly higher proportion of patients with post-operative nausea (p < 0.05). Operative time did not depict a significant difference between two groups (p > 0.05). 
Conclusion: RA is a feasible, safe and cost-effective alternative to GA for thyroidectomy which renders shorter postoperative hospital stay, reduced number of patients with postoperative nausea and pain at discharge.