Comparison of Completion Thyroidectomy and Primary Total Surgery for Differentiated Thyroid Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the complication rates between completion thyroidectomy and primary total thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Methods: PubMed, the Web of Knowledge, and the China Journal Net were searched for studies concerning the treatment of DTC published in 1990-2014. A meta-analysis was performed to compare the effects of different treatments. Results: 7 studies with a total of 1,208 patients were included. There were no statistically significant differences regarding the presence of temporary recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy, permanent RLN palsy, temporary hypocalcemia, permanent hypocalcemia, hematoma, and wound infection. Conclusions: Completion thyroidectomy can be performed with acceptable morbidity in select cases of DTC who could not be properly diagnosed perioperatively or who recurred after less than total thyroidectomy.