title: [Total thyroidectomy in the surgical treatment of thyroid disease a retrospective clinical study].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thyroid diseases constitute a group of benign and malignant affections, among which the most represented is multinodular goitre. Nowadays, an important question regards routine total thyroidectomy as the treatment of choice for all thyroid diseases. The aim of the present study is to verify if total thyroidectomy can always represent an option for modern surgery of thyroid disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred-thirty-seven patients underwent operations for thyroid disease during an 11-year period. Fifty-three patients underwent total thyroidectomy, 27 affected by a benign pathology and 26 by a malignant one.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both short term and long term results have been analysed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, the authors affirm that a complete resection of the gland is mandatory for the surgeon in the treatment of malignant diseases because the primary aim for oncologic surgery of the thyroid is the reduction of local recurrence and the increase of survival. As far as benign diseases are concerned, some surgeons affirm that morbility of non-total operations is lower than total thyroidectomy; anyway, the authors affirm that the most important factor to prevent morbility after total thyroidectomy is an appropriate surgical technique. In this way, both the identification of parathyroid glands and the identification preparation of recurrent nerve are considered the most valid method to prevent lesions. Another factor in favour of total thyroidectomy is represented by the risk of carcinoma on the residual tissue.
authors.affiliation: Cattedra e Scuola di Specializzazione in Chirurgia Generale, Università degli Studi, L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Perri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mariani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trunfio
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Antonellis
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Procacciante
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pietrangeli
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Nardi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lotti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gabbrielli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Citone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006996:Hypocalcemia / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*