title: Total thyroidectomy vs bilateral subtotal thyroidectomy in patients with Graves' diseases: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Conducting total thyroidectomy (TT) or subtotal thyroidectomy (ST) in patients with Graves' disease remains controversial. We performed a meta-analysis based on the published randomized controlled trials to evaluate the complications of TT vs ST.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched multiple electronic databases for prospective, randomized, controlled trials related to safety and effectiveness of TT vs ST. Relative risk (RR) was estimated with 95% confidence interval (CI) based on an intention-to-treat analysis. We considered the following outcomes: recurrent hyperthyroidism, ophthalmopathy progression, temporary and permanent hypoparathyroidism, temporary and permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (RLNP) and post-operative bleeding.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four trials with 674 patients (342 with TT, 332 with ST) were analysed. Although the overall rates of ophthalmopathy progression were similar between TT and ST (RR 0·92, 95% CI = 0·50-1·71; P = 0·80), TT was associated with a significant reduction in recurrent hyperthyroidism (RR 0·14, 95% CI = 0·05-0·41; P < 0·01). The pooled RR of post-operative bleeding for TT was similar to that for ST (RR 0·32, 95% CI = 0·05-1·96; P = 0·22). However, comparing with ST, the RR of temporary hypoparathyroidism was significantly higher for TT (RR 2·66, 95% CI = 1·89-3·73; P < 0·01). There was no significant difference in permanent hypoparathyroidism (RR 2·30, 95% CI = 0·78-6·76; P = 0·13), temporary (RR 1·08, 95% CI = 0·47-2·48; P = 0·85) and permanent RLNP (RR 1·54, 95% CI = 0·41-5·73; P = 0·52) between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With regard to ophthalmopathy progression, post-operative bleeding, permanent hypoparathyroidism, temporary and permanent RLNP, TT is consistent with ST in patients with Graves' disease. However, TT is associated with a reduced incidence of recurrent hyperthyroidism and results in an increase in temporary hypoparathyroidism. Therefore, TT should be proposed for the treatment of Graves' disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Pathology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zhenying
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Zhenjie
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Si
authors.forename: Mingjuan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D006111:Graves Disease / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013965:Thyroidectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome