Sistrunk's operation for the treatment of thyroglossal cyst

Effective Treatment of thyroglossal cyst requires knowledge of its embryological background and anatomical disposition of the thyroglossal duct and its remnants. Equally important is the expertise of the surgeon to ensure total excision of the remnants of thyroglossal duct. We have operated 12 cases of both primary and recurrent thyroglossal cysts in the department of Surgery, BSMMU, Dhaka, Bangladesh from January 2001 to September 2008. We performed the Sistruk's operation on all the 12 cases. Under general anaesthesia the thyroglossal cyst, 10 mm of the central part of the body of the hyoid bone and a core of tissue in the suprahyoid region up to the foramen caecum were removed. There was no need for blood transfusion. There was neither mortality nor any significant morbidity. Average hospital stay after operation was three days. After mean follow up of 3 years there was no recurrence. We found that the Sistrunk operation is a safe and effective procedure.