Clinical Trial: Subtotal Versus Total Thyroidectomy for Benign Goiter

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Subtotal Versus Total Thyroidectomy for Benign Thyroid Disease - a Prospective Case-control Surgical Outcome Study.

Brief Summary:

The extent of thyroid resection in benign goiter is controversial. Potential advantages of TT over BST may include: one-stage removal of incidental thyroid cancer reported in up to 10% of operatively treated benign thyroid diseases, and lower risk for goiter recurrence. However, these potential advantages should outweigh the risk of morbidity associated with more radical thyroid resection.

The aim of this study was to compare outcomes of bilateral subtotal (BST) vs. total thyroidectomy (TT) for benign bilateral thyroid disease.

Detailed Summary: The extent of thyroid resection in bilateral multinodular non-toxic goiter remains controversial. Surgeons still continue to debate whether the potential benefits of total thyroidectomy outweigh the potential complications. Most low-volume surgeons avoid to perform total thyroidectomy owing to the possible complications such as permanent recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy and permanent hypoparathyroidism. On the other hand, the increasing number of total thyroidectomies are currently performed in high-volume endocrine surgery units, and the indication for this procedure include thyroid cancer, Graves disease and multinodular goiter. Recently there has been increasing acceptance for performing total thyroidectomy for bilateral multinodular non-toxic goiter as it removes the disease process completely, lowers local recurrence rate and avoids the substantial risk of reoperative surgery, and involves only a minimal risk of morbidity. This common perception is based largely on single-institution retrospective data, a few multi-institutional retrospective experiences, and only a few small prospective studies comparing the outcomes of total vs. subtotal thyroidectomy.
Sponsor: Jagiellonian University

Current Primary Outcome: Primary outcome measure was the prevalence of recurrent goiter, incidental thyroid cancer and need for revision thyroid surgery. [ Time Frame: folow-up at yearly intervals following thyroidectomy ]

Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome: Secondary outcome measure was the postoperative morbidity rate (hypoparathyroidism, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury and bleeding). [ Time Frame: 12-month follow-up after thyroidectomy ]

Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

Information By: Jagiellonian University

Dates:
Date Received: January 7, 2011
Date Started: January 1999
Date Completion:
Last Updated: January 7, 2011
Last Verified: January 2011