What Is a Thyroidectomy?

The reputations of many fine clinics in the United States, such as the Mayo, Cleveland, and Lahey Clinics, were built, in part, upon successful thyroid surgery in the first half of the twentieth century. However, starting in the 1930s and 1940s, other treatments diminished the need for thyroid surgery (thyroidectomy). For example, the iodination of table salt, pioneered by Dr. David Marine, virtually eliminated endemic goiter in the United States. Furthermore, once antithyroid drugs and radioactive iodine became widely used in the 1960s and 1970s, surgery on patients with Graves' disease was markedly reduced. In addition, fine needle aspiration biopsies have eliminated the need for surgery on many patients with thyroid nodules.

Since thyroid surgery is performed relatively infrequently today, few surgeons have accumulated extensive experience doing thyroidec­tomies; consequently, the choice of a surgeon must be considered carefully. Many patients base their decision upon the opinion of an acquaintance who has had surgery. While trusted friends and relatives have the patient's best interests in mind, they cannot know the comparable experience and results of different surgeons. Therefore, it is prudent for patients to consult with their physicians to identify the most qualified thyroid surgeons in their area. Experience counts.

Thyroidectomy may mean any of the following:

• thyroid lobectomy-removal of one lobe with or without removal of part of the isthmus connecting the two thyroid lobes
• thyroid lobectomy and isthmusectomy-removal of one lobe and the isthmus
• subtotal, or near-total, thyroidectomy-removal of one lobe, the isthmus, and almost all of the other lobe
• total thyroidectomy-removal of the entire thyroid gland