A Review on the History of ‘Thyroid Surgery’

Abstract

The history of thyroid surgery is both interesting and illustrative. The ambitions of a thyroid surgeon have evolved along the length of time. The objective of this article is to give an idea about the evolution of thyroid surgery thus giving inspiration to future surgeons in their quest for a perfect technique, which would take into consideration disease elimination and maintenance of physiology and cosmesis. The history of thyroid surgery back to as early as 952 AD, when Albucasis first performed the surgery. Thereafter, the course of this surgery had its crests and troughs. At one point of time, surgeons refused to perform this surgery because of the complications. But later on, surgeons like Billroth and Kocher gave this procedure a new leash of life, after which this surgery became popular and underwent numerous modifications to where now it stands. History reveals that thyroid surgery has travelled a long path in time. From an operation which once was considered dreadful to the present times when techniques are being tried to make the incision as small as possible. The quest is still on to develop the perfect technique.

Outcomes of Per-oral Endoscopic Thyroidectomy (POET) – A New Trend for Scarfree Thyroidectomy

“…There has been evidence describing thyroidectomy since 1170, however thyroidectomies performed before 1850's had a high mortality rate due to haemorrhage, asphyxia and air embolism [3,4]. [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22].…”

Goiter: Overview of Aetiopathogenesis and Therapy

“…During 1600 BC Chinese used to treat the condition with the sea weed [3]. Even though ancient doctors use to treat the condition with sea weed, the exact pharmacological basis behind this treatment was understood only after the discovery of Iodine by Bernard Courtois in 1811 [4].…”

Objectively measuring social attention of thyroid neck scars and transoral surgery using eye tracking

“…Thyroidectomy is a commonly performed procedure that has rapidly evolved over the past decade. The traditional approach to thyroidectomy involves an anterior incision that is typically 2 to 8 cm in length, with variances in scar severity . This approach has led to high success rates; however, it results in a notable scar on the neck, an area of the body that is frequently exposed.…”

“…The traditional approach to thyroidectomy involves an anterior incision that is typically 2 to 8 cm in length, with variances in scar severity. 1 This approach has led to high success rates; however, it results in a notable scar on the neck, an area of the body that is frequently exposed. Visible scars represent one of the most frequently reported concerns following thyroidectomy.…”