[Struma resection in Basedow hyperthyroidism]

The presented data show that thyroid surgery for Graves' Disease had a high therapeutic efficiency in more than 500 own patients. Considering our actual knowledge about the pathogenesis of Graves' Disease it is obvious that inadequate results of surgery are mostly due to surgical technique, which is not radical enough. Therefore subtotal bilateral thyroidectomies leaving remnants of only 4-6 g are recommended. Even as adequate premedication has shrunk the lethality of surgery to 0--which is especially significant concerning the previously dreaded postoperative thyroid storm--complications such as vocal chord paralysis and tetany do occur in a few percent. These complications, however, can usually be controlled as well as the frequent postoperative hypothyroidism. Overall thyroid surgery for therapy of Graves' Disease seems the method of choice for the treatment of younger patients with considerable thyroid enlargement and with insufficient response to antithyroid drugs.