Table 1. Patient demographics and clinical information (n=35).
| Variable | No. | Percent, % |
|---|---|---|
| Sex | ||
| Male | 9 | 25.7 |
| Female | 24 | 68.6 |
| Unknown | 2 | 5.7 |
| Age, years | ||
| <40 | 2 | 5.7 |
| ≥40, <60 | 4 | 11.4 |
| ≥60 | 4 | 11.4 |
| Unknown | 25 | 71.5 |
| Preoperative diagnosis | ||
| Malignant | 24 | 68.6 |
| Atypia | 3 | 8.6 |
| Benign | 1 | 2.8 |
| Unsettled | 2 | 5.7 |
| Others† | 5 | 14.3 |
| Extent of surgery‡ (by or at defendant) | ||
| Total thyroidectomy | 21 | 63.7 |
| Lobectomy | 8 | 24.2 |
| Subtotal thyroidectomy | 4 | 12.1 |
| Type of surgical procedure‡ (by or at defendant) | ||
| Conventional open thyroidectomy | 29 | 87.9 |
| Robotic thyroidectomy | 3 | 9.1 |
| Endoscopic thyroidectomy | 1 | 3.0 |
| Main alleged adverse event or clinical outcome | ||
| Vocal cord palsy with RLN injury | 7 | 20.0 |
| Unnecessary surgery | 7 | 20.0 |
| Compressive neck hematoma | 5 | 14.2 |
| Delayed diagnosis | 4 | 11.4 |
| Hypoparathyroidism with parathyroid injury | 3 | 8.5 |
| Pulmonary thromboembolism | 2 | 5.6 |
| Cerebral infarction with carotid artery injury | 1 | 2.9 |
| Transient ischemic attack with carotid artery injury | 1 | 2.9 |
| Horner’s syndrome with sympathetic nerve injury | 1 | 2.9 |
| Dysphagia with accessory nerve injury | 1 | 2.9 |
| Cardiac dysfunction with vagal reflex | 1 | 2.9 |
| Neck muscle hardening | 1 | 2.9 |
| None | 1 | 2.9 |
†, 4 hyperthyroidism, 1 Hashimoto’s thyroiditis; ‡, excludes 2 cases operated on at another hospital, not defendant.