[Changes in thyroid gland surgery caused by nuclear medicine. Report of experiences on 32,743 thyroid operations]

At the time of Th. Kocher surgery was the predominant therapy of thyroid diseases. Because of interdisciplinary cooperation, i.e. nuclear medicine, radiology and endocrinology the indication for surgical therapy has narrowed. However, this cooperation proved to be profitable to the treatment of thyroid carcinoma. Radionuclear diagnosis made elective operative procedures possible. On the other hand, extended surgery as radical neck dissection or resection of trachea and oesophagus can be performed. Successful treatment of thyroid carcinoma, in former times more or less by chance, is nowadays possible to a very high percentage.