Treatment of Graves' disease: the advantages of surgery

The authors and others believe that surgery (thyroidectomy) is underused in the treatment for patients with Graves' disease. It is the most rapid and consistent method of making the patient euthyroid; it avoids the possible long-term risks of radioactive iodine; and it provides tissue for histologic examination. Children, young women, pregnant women, and patients with coexistent thyroid nodules are ideal candidates for thyroidectomy. It also is the treatment of choice for patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy. Patients should be rendered euthyroid before thyroidectomy. Although the operation is technically more difficult than operating on patients with nontoxic goiter or thyroid neoplasms because of the vascularity of the thyroid gland, this difference is small, and the complication rates are low. The authors recommend the Hartley-Dunhill operation (total thyroidectomy on one side and subtotal thyroidectomy on the other side, leaving about 4 to 5 g of thyroid tissue) for most patients and total thyroidectomy for patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy. In patients with recurrent or persistent thyroid cancer who fail to respond to surgery and radioactive iodine ablation, immunosuppressive therapy should be considered.