Limited subtotal thyroidectomy for Graves' disease
R. D. Liechty, S. G. Silverberg and J. Hernandez
Limited subtotal thyroidectomy was performed in 42 of 43 patients with
Graves' disease. Twenty of 23 patients (87%) who were followed up for an
average of 54 months after operation remained euthyroid. Only one patient
(4.3%) had recurrent thyrotoxicosis. There were no deaths and no permanent
complications. A coexisting, invasive papillary cancer necessitated total
thyroidectomy in one patient, and occult papillary cancers were discovered
histologically in three others. This study supports the thesis that
postoperative thyroid function depends on the volume of remaining thyroid
tissue. While preserving thyroid function, limited subtotal thyroidectomy
lowers postoperative complications and induces no increase in recurrent
thyrotoxicosis.