Thyroid surgery in a district hospital in Southern Ethiopia: experience from a rural center.

Background: Diseases of the thyroid are not uncommon, particularly in the highlands of Ethiopia. The aim of the present study was to describe the experience of thyroid surgery in a rural hospital in Southern Ethiopia.
Methods: The present study was based on review of surgical cases of thyroid diseases operated in a rural hospital in Southern Ethiopia during the period 2009-2010.
Results: During the study period, 211 patients underwent surgery for goiter. The mean age was 31.9 years (range: 14-80 years). The sex ratio, M:F, was 1:9. A total of 103 patients had unilateral nodules, and in 108 patients the nodules were located bilaterally. The mean duration of symptoms was 5.7 years (range: 0.7-25 years). In total, 161 (76.7 %) subtotal thyroidectomy operations, and 50 (23.3 %) hemi-thyroidectomy operations were performed. Histological examination revealed multinodular goiters in 203 (96.2 %) cases. Papillary and follicular cancers were found in 7 (3.3 %) and 1 (0.5 %) cases, respectively.
Conclusions: Thyroid surgery is feasible in a small rural Ethiopian District Hospital. The provision of surgical services in rural areas of low income and middle income countries is extremely important and delivers more health opportunities to the local people.