Total lobectomy and total thyroidectomy in the management of thyroid lesions.
OBJECTIVE
To study an unselected consecutive series of patients undergoing thyroidectomy for tumors to establish the complication rates of total lobectomy with isthmectomy and total thyroidectomy.


METHODS
Retrospective study.


METHODS
Two hundred eight consecutive, unselected patients were operated on by one surgeon from 1980 to 1990. One hundred nineteen patients (57%) had a total lobectomy and isthmectomy and 85 patients (41%) had total thyroidectomy. Four patients (2%) had partial excision for technical reasons, two with anaplastic cancers and two with advanced thyroiditis.


RESULTS
Forty-two malignant lesions (20%) were diagnosed with a mean follow-up of 5 years. Malignant lesions were diagnosed in 15 (31%) of 48 males and 27 (17%) of 160 women. Ten patients (5%) had parathyroid adenomas. Long-term follow-up revealed that there were no deaths, permanent hypocalcemia, or recurrent laryngeal nerve damage. One patient was returned to the operating room to control bleeding.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that total thyroid lobectomy with isthmectomy and total thyroidectomy are both safe procedures in the management of thyroid tumors.
Hines
J R
JR
Department of Surgery, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Ill.
Winchester
D J
DJ
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000601:surgery*; D000236:Adenoma / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010282:Parathyroid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000379:methods*