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[Surgical treatment of diffuse hyperthyroid goiter. Experience at a hospital in Valdivia, Chile]
1Instituto de Cirugía, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Austral de Chile.
Background:
The choice of medical, radiation or surgical therapy for hyperthyroid diffuse goiter is still empirical.
Aim:
To report a retrospective analysis of the surgical treatment of hyperthyroid goiter in a Regional Hospital in Chile.
Patients And Methods:
The charts of 64 patients, 54 female, aged between 15 and 57 years old, operated between 1985 and 1995 were analyzed.
Results:
The indication for surgical treatment was failure of medical treatment in 59 patients and a big goiter causing mechanical compression in 3 patients. A subtotal thyroidectomy was done after an abbreviated surgical preparation. The mean weight of the resected glands was 65.9 g. Four patients had transient hypocalcemia and 4 had surgical wound seromas. After a mean follow up of 31 months, 77% of patients remain euthyroid, hyperthyroidism relapsed in 13.1% and 10% became hypothyroid.
Conclusions:
Surgical treatment of hyperthyroid goiter is safe but the percentage of hyperfunction relapse is high.