Clinical Analysis of Completion Thyroidectomy

완료적 갑상선 전 절제술의 임상분석

Background: Completion thyroidectomy can most accurately be described as reexploration of the neck to remove the contralateral thyroid lobe. This procedure has commonly been performed when the histopatholoic condition of the ipsilateral thyroid lobe reveals papillary or follicular carcinoma of the thyroid. Because of a definitely increased risk of complications with completion thyroidectomy, avoiding its routine use is important. But this operation is safe procedure with minimal morbidity by coinsidering interval, surgical approach, surgeon's experience. The purpose of this review is to define the indication, and the safety of completion thyroidectomy. Materials & Methods: Recent 2 years(1995. 1 to 1996. 12), we have performed 161 thyroid operations. Fourteen of these patients were treated by completion thyroidectomy. The patients ranged in age from 21 to 66 years. We have routinely used ultrasound guided needle biopsy and intraoperative frozen section. Result: The completion thyroidectomized specimen contained papillary carcinoma in 12 (86%), follicular carcinoma in 1(7%) and follicular adenoma(no residual tumor) in 1(7%). The complication of completion thyroicetomy was absent, although case number was a few. The indication of completion thyroidectomy in our study was defined recurrence in 9 and staging in 5. The site of recurrence consists of residual thyroid in 7 and residual thyroid added cervical lymph node in 2. The staging consists of incomplete thyroidectomy 3, questionable frozen biopsy 1, and huge follicular carcinoma. Conclusion: The incidence of completion thyroidectomy appear to be increasing by application of ultrasonogram in follow-up of thyroidectomized patients, especially, for the improving of well differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Experience suggests that the morbidity of completion thyroidectomy is low, so we recommend completion thyroidectomy as an efficient and safe method of surgical treatment.