title: The surgical management of Graves' disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The historical aspects of the pathophysiology and treatment of Graves' disease are briefly discussed in this paper.
  
  
  METHODS
  The three treatment modalities of Graves' disease are anti-thyroid drug therapy, radioactive iodine therapy, and surgery. Although the majority of patients with Graves' disease in the U.S. are treated with radioactive iodine, surgery still plays an important role when patients cannot tolerate anti-thyroid drug therapy, when medical treatment is rejected by patients, or when surgery is deemed the fastest and safest route in managing the patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The indications for surgical management of Graves' disease are discussed with emphasis on available data supporting the extent of thyroid resection based on the incidences of hypothyroidism, recurrence of hyperthyroidism, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury and hypoparathyroidism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Section of Endocrine Surgery, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 53792, USA.
authors.forename: Chris M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Schüssler-Fiorenza
authors.forename: Cristin M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bruns
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D006111:Graves Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013965:Thyroidectomy