Open Total Thyroidectomy for Graves’ Disease
Allison S. Letica-Kriegel, MD, MSc; Antonia E. Stephen, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital

Graves’ disease is an autoimmune condition that causes hyperthyroidism. There are several options for management which include medications, radioactive iodine ablation, and surgery. Over time, total or near-total thyroidectomy has become the gold standard in surgical management of this disease. Although there is a slightly higher risk of complications following total thyroidectomy in patients with Graves’ disease as compared to their non-Graves’ counterparts undergoing thyroidectomy, the absolute risk remains low, especially for high-volume endocrine surgeons.