[Total thyroidectomy with preservation of the parathyroid glands]

The operative treatment of thyroid pathology has to be distinguished for benign and malignant pathology. The major complications associated with thyroid surgery are injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve and hypoparathyroidism. Postoperative hypoparathyroidism is rarely the result of inadvertent removal of all parathyroid glands but, non commonly, is due to disruption of their blood supply. Postoperative hypoparathyroidism results in patients with symptomatic hypocalcemia, transitory and permanent hypoparathyroidism. Subtotal thyroidectomy is used for the treatment of benign thyroid pathology while tumors are treated by total thyroidectomy with neck dissection.