Abstract
Diseases of the thyroid are common and surgical treatment is often the preferred option.
Thyroid surgery is becoming subspecialised and falls within the repertoire of maxillofacial,
and head and neck surgeons. Multidisciplinary management of most patients with diseases
of the thyroid is key to providing the best care particularly for those with malignancies
and retrosternal extension. To reduce postoperative complications a meticulous search
for, and protection of the recurrent laryngeal nerve and parathyroid glands, with
an incision along the skin crease in the lower neck, which can be extended for neck
dissection, are paramount. Recent advances in thyroid surgery include ultrasound-guided
cervical plexus block, use of the Harmonic Scalpel® (Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., USA), intraoperative nerve stimulation to monitor the
recurrent laryngeal nerve, use of TissuePatch™ 3 (Tissuemed Ltd., Leeds, UK) adhesive
sealant, and minimal access surgery.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 23, 2011
Accepted:
November 3,
2011
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
