A Historical Account for Thyroid Surgery

Thyroid pathology has been known since ancient times, surgical management of thyroid diseases, however, evolved slowly throughout the ages. The ancients conceived thyroid surgery, but it was limited to rare attempts due to the need for appropriate instruments and the lack of anesthesia and antisepsis. Much of the progress of thyroid surgery occurred from early the 1850s until early the 1900s. Two prominent surgeons, Theodor Billroth and Theodor Kocher, proclaimed to be the “fathers” of thyroid surgery, entered the operating theaters and changed the history of thyroidectomy. Pioneers in thyroid surgery during the first part of the twentieth century, significant advances regarding the management of thyroid diseases (modern imaging methods, preoperative fine-needle aspiration [FNAC]) as well as the standardization of surgical techniques, have made surgical management of thyroid disorders safe for every patient. This review aims to take a closer look into the past of thyroid surgery and to present its evolution up to the modern era.