Psychological impacts of lobectomy and total thyroidectomy in PTC measuring 1 to 4 cm with low to intermediate risk of recurrence

To investigate the implications of Lobectomy (LT) or total thyroidectomy (TT) on psychological distress and sleep quality in PTC patients with a low to intermediate risk of recurrence and tumors measuring 1 to 4 cm.

Patients who were admitted to our hospital between July 2021 and July 2022 were prospectively enrolled in this survey. Psychological distress and sleep quality were assessed at hospitalization, discharge, and 1, 3, and 6 months post-treatment using validated scales. Participants were divided into LT and TT groups, with propensity score matching (PSM) applied for analyses.

Among 525 eligible PTC patients, 440 patients completed all the questionnaires throughout the follow-up. After PSM, 166 patients underwent LT, and 166 patients underwent TT were enrolled. The psychological distress and sleep quality of patients in the LT group remained relatively stable during the 6-month follow-up, but patients in the TT group may have faced greater sleep quality concerns in the longitudinal assessment. Additionally, the sleep quality of the TT group was also worse than that of the LT group postoperatively.

The sleep quality rather than other psychological distress of patients with PTC with a low to intermediate risk of recurrence is associated with the extent of surgery.