Total thyroidectomy: the evolution of surgical technique

The present paper outlines the development of thyroid surgery from early times to the twenty-first century. The significant changes that have occurred in the past few decades in relation to the evolution of techniques for safe and effective total thyroidectomy are then summarized. In the last 25 years total thyroidectomy has replaced bilateral subtotal thyroidectomy as the preferred option for the management of all patients with bilateral benign multinodular goitre, Graves' disease, and all but very low-risk thyroid cancer patients. The principal change in operative technique has been the move from 'lateral dissection' to 'capsular dissection'. Associated with that has been a focus on 'encountering' the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN), recognizing sympathetic-laryngeal nerve anastomoses, and routinely identifying the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (EBSLN). Completeness of resection has been assured by moving from an anatomically based approach to an embryologically based approach. This requires an awareness of the vagaries of thyroid development including attention to pyramidal remnants, to abnormalities associated with the tubercle of Zuckerkandl, and to thyrothymic thyroid rests. Preservation of parathyroid function has moved from the time-consuming technique of dissection of a vascularized pedicle in all cases, to initially selective, and then routine, parathyroid autotransplantation. These changes have ensured that total thyroidectomy can now be offered as a safe and efficacious procedure with a minimal complication rate.