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The Evolution of Thyroid Surgery

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Minimally Invasive and Robotic Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery

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Abstract

The earliest mention of goiter occurred in 2700 BC in China. In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, heated setons were placed into the gland and turned twice a day as a treatment for enlarged glands. The first surgeries for thyroid disease were frequently fatal due to hemorrhage and infection. The surgical revolution began in the mid-1800s with the development of anesthesia and the use of antiseptic techniques, which led to significant declines in mortality rates. Theodor Kocher is often considered the father of modern thyroid surgery and received the Nobel Prize for his contributions to the field in 1908. Since that time, advancements in the understanding of thyroid and parathyroid anatomy and physiology, as well as improvements in diagnostic and surgical technologies, have propelled thyroid surgery to its current state of sophistication.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, 243 Charles Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    E. Ashlie Darr MD

  2. Division of Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Gregory Randolph MD, FACS, FACE

Authors
  1. E. Ashlie Darr MD
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  2. Gregory Randolph MD, FACS, FACE
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Correspondence to E. Ashlie Darr MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia, USA

    David J. Terris

  2. Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan, USA

    Michael C. Singer

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Darr, E.A., Randolph, G. (2014). The Evolution of Thyroid Surgery. In: Terris, D., Singer, M. (eds) Minimally Invasive and Robotic Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9011-1_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9011-1_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-9010-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-9011-1

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