Analysis of the status of treatment of benign thyroid diseases – a public health problem aggravated in the COVID-19 pandemic era^☆

Abstract

Objective:

Goiters and benign nodules detected in the thyroid are growing lesions and the COVID-19 pandemic have negatively impacted on their surgical treatment. The appropriate selection of patients to treatment will improve the overall health status. This article review will focus on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on treatment of benign conditions of the thyroid gland and their implications.

Methods:

This review pointed out the status of the health system in developing country and the problems to treat benign surgical diseases of thyroid. Aspects of epidemiology, incidence, clinical presentation and surgical treatment of goiters, economic and health status impact were cited.

Results:

All surgical treatment of goiter and other benign conditions were postponed, forced to redirect, and reschedule all benign surgeries, situation aggravated by poor public management and closure of hospital beds. These conditions have caused deterioration in patients’ physical (decompensated thyroid disease) and mental health status, increasing work disabilities and burdening society by increasing the social and health cost. The overall situation could be catastrophic in emergent countries where this increased disease-related social expenditure on surgical treatment may increase the risk of national impoverishment as increase the treatment cost. Brazilian Society Head and Neck Surgery related some recommendations and new suggestions were made to safely treat these high potential hazard surgical conditions.

Conclusions:

Surgeries for goiter and benign thyroid conditions can be performed during the COVID-19 pandemic, following strict safety protocols for the patient and the medical team, reducing the negative economic and on patient health impact.

Keywords
COVID-19; Thyroid diseases; Endocrine surgical procedures; Public health; Outcome assessment; Health care

Highlights

The COVID-19 pandemic have negatively impacted the surgical treatment of Goiters.

The postponed surgical treatment was worsened by closure of hospital beds and bad public management.

With safety protocols, surgeries for goiter and benign thyroid conditions can still be performed.

The restart surgeries for goiters will reduce the negative economic and patient health impact.