Repeat thyroid operations are controversal and sometimes denied for fear of an increased risk of complications, minimal morbidity and low rates of complications of reoperation were reported by recent studies. We therefore reviewed our experience
in
30
reoperations of 1117 initial thyroid operations with benign and malignant thyroid tumors for 8 vears from January 1985 to December 1992. The initial histologic diagnosis before reoperation was thyroid carcinoma in 14 patients, papillary carcinoma
in 11
patients, medullary carcinoma in 11 patients with cancer, reoperations were performed because of confirmed or suspected recurrent disease. In 3 patients, reoperation was completion total thyroidectomy, primarily so that radioactive iodine could
be
used
to scan for and treat metastatic disease.
Among the 30 reoperations, 21 were completion total thyroidectomy with or wothout neck dissection, 2 were near-total or subtotal thyroidectomy, 6 were completion lobectomy and 1 was radical neck dissection. Histologic examination at reoperation
revealed
thyroid carcinoma in 11 cases (76.8%) among the 14 patients who had undergone initial operation for thyroid cancer. Cancer also occurred in 3 cases (18.75%) fo the 16 pateints who initially had benign lesions. One complication (3.3%) was happened
ith
permanent injury of the external branch of both superior laryngeal nerve injury ; that occurred in 45 year old female who had undergone completion total thyroldectomy for recurrence of benign nodule. Other complication included moderate neck
deformity
in 2 patients and temporary hypoparathyriodism in 2 patients.
We conclude that thyroid reoperations can be performed with minimal morbidity and low rates of complications. Thus patient should not be denied the change to undergo removal of a persistent tumor or the remnant normal thyroid tissue because of
the
fear
of complications.
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