The place of total thyroidectomy in the management of 909 patients with thyroid disease.

An analytic review of 909 total thyroidectomies reveals complications and sequelae comparable to those that follow subtotal operations for Graves' disease, nodular goiter, and chronic thyroiditis. It is suggested that when surgery is indicated for the management of these diseases, nothing less than total thyroidectomy should be performed because of the important additional advantages obtained with this operation.