Post-thyroidectomy hematoma : a rare but potentially fatal complication

Background/ objectives: Post- thyroidectomyhe-matoma is a rare but fatal complication of thy-roidectomy. The incidence of hematomahas dropped to less than 2-3% due to better preoper-ative preparation & major refinements in surgical techniques. Setting: Department of ENT, Head & Neck Sur-gery, KVG Medical College, Sullia. Case report: We report a case of post- thyroidec-tomy hematomain an elective surgerydone for a large thyroid. The hematomaoccurred 15 minutes after surgery & was managed success-fully under general anaesthesia. Intervention: Urgent evacuation of the hemato-ma was done under general anaesthesia& bleeders were re-ligated. 2 pints of A+ blood was transfused. Conclusion: Post- thyroidectomy hematomaleading to airway obstruction is a fatal complica-tion which needs emergency management. Post-operative care include attention to the drain, careful monitoring in the recovery room & ap-preciation of subtle signs of respiratory distress. So every thyroidectomycase can bleed & cause hematomacomplication. Prevention & early in-tervention can avoid fatal complications.