Purpose: To evaluate the rate of surgical complications during the change from subtotal resection to hemithyroidectomy or thyroidectomy over a period of 17 years.
Methods: All operations for benign goiter at our hospital were analyzed for the periods 1996-2002 (Group 1) and 2003-2012 (Group 2). The groups were compared for recurrent laryngeal nerve damage, hypocalcemia, and other surgical complications directly postoperatively.