Surgery of the thyroid.

The sophistication of current surgical treatment of thyroid disorders reflects a better understanding of the pathophysiology. The development of more methods of therapy with antithyroid drugs, beta-adrenergic blocking agents, thyroid hormones, and radioactive isotopes as well as external irradiation has had an important effect on the role that surgery plays in the management of diseases of the thyroid. Iodine, which was use for many disorders, is now probably contraindicated except for preparation of the hyperthyroid patient for surgical treatment. Surgery has now taken its place as one form of therapy for an endocrine organ that is subject to a variety of diseases. It is necessary for the surgeon who undertakes operations on the thyroid to have an understanding of thyroid physiology as well as its pathophysiology.