OBJECTIVETo evaluate the results of re-operation of thyroidectomy for patients of thyroid carcinoma.

METHODS268 patients of thyroid carcinoma received completion thyroidectomy were retrospectively reviewed from 1984 to 2000. There were 59 males and 209 female cases. 256 cases had received nodule enucleating or partial thyroidectomy in other hospitals and 12 cases had unilateral subtotal thyroidectomy in this hospital. The types of reoperation were: Total thyroidectomy for bilateral thyroid carcinoma (6 cases); expand isthmectomy for isthmus carcinoma (1 case). Lobectomy plus isthmectomy for unilateral disease (261) Simultaneous neck dissections were performed in 196 cases. Among them, 94 cases had classical neck dissection, 102 cases had modified neck dissection.

RESULTSPathological results confirmed that there were 78 cases with residual thyroid carcinoma. The rate of residual carcinoma was 29. 1% (78/268). There were 95 cases with lymphnode metastasis. The rate of lymphnode metastasis was 48.5% (95/196). The rate of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury was 1.1% (3/268). The 5-year and 10-year survival rates of patients were 94. 0% (251/267) and 85. 2% (127/149) respectively.

CONCLUSIONSThe residual carcinoma of completing thyroidectomy was high. Therefore re-operations of thyroid in selected cases were necessary.