Faculty Collaboration Database

Surgery for Graves' disease: a 25-year perspective. Am J Surg 2013 Nov;206(5):669-73

Date

09/10/2013

Pubmed ID

24011567

DOI

10.1016/j.amjsurg.2013.07.005

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-84886649456 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   21 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Optimal treatment of Graves' disease (GD) remains controversial. The authors retrospectively reviewed the surgical cases of GD at a single academic tertiary center.

METHODS: Demographic, clinical, and surgical data were analyzed for all patients with GD undergoing thyroidectomy over 25 years, in 3 periods: 1985 to 1993 (n = 32), 1994 to 2002 (n = 91), and 2003 to 2010 (n = 177).

RESULTS: There were 300 patients with GD (85.7% women; mean age, 39.3 years; median length of follow-up, 24.6 months). Overall, perioperative morbidity occurred in 36 patients (12.0%), and there was no mortality. Thyroidectomy-specific morbidity was very low, and the incidental malignancy rate was 10.3%.

CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment of GD has a very high safety profile, with low perioperative and thyroidectomy-specific morbidity, even in patients with overt hyperthyroidism. Incidental malignancy in patients with GD is not uncommon.

Author List

Phitayakorn R, Morales-Garcia D, Wanderer J, Lubitz CC, Gaz RD, Stephen AE, Ehrenfeld JM, Daniels GH, Hodin RA, Parangi S

Author

Jesse Ehrenfeld MD, MPH Sr Associate Dean, Director, Professor in the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Ablation Techniques
Adult
Antithyroid Agents
Drainage
Female
Graves Disease
Humans
Incidental Findings
Iodine Radioisotopes
Length of Stay
Male
Massachusetts
Methimazole
Operative Time
Postoperative Complications
Preoperative Care
Propylthiouracil
Retrospective Studies
Thyroid Neoplasms
Thyroidectomy