[Surgical treatment of recurrent goiter]

The authors have analyzed and generalized their 20-years experience with surgical treatment of 247 patients with recurrent goiter. Among them 48 patients had recurrent toxic goiter and 199 patients had nontoxic goiter. Postoperative complications developed in 8.3% of the patients with recurrent toxic goiter and in 6% of the patients with nontoxic goiter. The overall postoperative lethality was 1.2%. Operative treatment is recommended by the authors for recurrent toxic and nontoxic goiter, conservative treatment with radioactive iodine is thought to be expedient for a repeated recurrence. For preventing recurrences of toxic and nontoxic goiter after the first operation the administration of small does of the thyroid hormones is considered to be expedient during 1.5-2 months.