Abstract
Selective morphology- and function-adapted resection is generally regarded as the surgical treatment of choice for benign goiter causing iodine deficiency. This procedure aims to reduce the need for patients to undergo reoperations for recurrence by completely removing all nodules. However, to achieve this sometimes requires a total thyroidectomy, the option of which is often rejected because of a presumed higher rate of complications. In this study, 324 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy were evaluated retrospectively. The patients were interviewed about their postoperative course and their acceptance of the procedure performed. The complications were compared with those associated with subtotal resection or hemithyroidectomies performed in our collective experience. The rate of complications associated with total thyroidectomy, namely, recurrent nerve palsy in 0.9%, hypocalcemia in 0.9%, wound infection in 0.9%, and secondary hemorrhage in 0.6%, did not differ significantly from that associated with subtotal resections/hemithyroidectomies. Moreover, 88.3% of the patients who underwent total thyroidectomy were satisfied with the results of surgery. These findings indicate that total thyroidectomy is an acceptable surgical alternative for benign multinodular goiters.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received: January 5, 2001 / Accepted: May 15, 2001
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Müller, P., Kabus, S., Robens, E. et al. Indications, Risks, and Acceptance of Total Thyroidectomy for Multinodular Benign Goiter. Surg Today 31, 958–962 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s005950170002
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s005950170002