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Electron Kebebew, MD
San Francisco, Calif

Arch Surg. 2004;139:447.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Total thyroidectomy for bilateral nodular goiter has become the preferred surgical approach in many centers.¹ This is because as many as 20% of incompletely resected bilateral goiters after lobectomy or subtotal thyroidectomy recur, thyroid hormone therapy for thyroid-stimulating hormone suppression does not appear to reduce the risk of postoperative recurrence, and thyroid reoperation for recurrent goiter may be associated with a higher risk of complications.^2-4 Although total thyroidectomy offers these advantages, the risk of complications from total thyroidectomy is considered by some to be higher than that from less extensive resections.

Acun and colleagues report their results for near-total thyroidectomy in patients with benign nodular thyroid disease and conclude that, compared with total thyroidectomy, near-total thyroidectomy achieves a lower rate of hypoparathyroidism (7.2% transient) and similar rates of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury (6.6% transient) and recurrence. The investigators should be applauded for comprehensive and objective documentation of . . . [Full Text of this Article]