Valsalva Maneuver in Thyroidectomy

Bleeding after total thyroidectomy remains a rare event that affects early postoperative morbidity, occurring in 0.3% up to 4.2% of cases. Intraoperative bleeding is an unpleasant complication, and it is often easily manageable though postoperative bleeding may represent a life-threatening condition for the patient. Between January 2019 to February 2022 , 250 consecutive patients were listed for thyroidectomy. The Investigators selected 178 patients and divided them in two groups based on the execution of the Valsalva Manoeuvre. The purpose of the investigator is to clarify whether the routine intraoperative execution of a Valsalva manoeuvre (VM) may affect the detection of bleeding that would otherwise remain occult and therefore may manifest in the postoperative period.