Abstract
AbstractWhenever there are alternative methods of treatment, one surgical and the other nonsurgical, and when each method is equally effective, the nonsurgical method invariably prevails. Patients dislike surgery and so do the internists whom they first consult. There seems to be no question that thyroidectomy for Graves' disease and its complications of vocal cord paralysis, tetany, hypothyroidism, recurrent hyperthyroidism, unsightly scar, and accidental death will soon be things of the past.131I involves no risk, and the only side effect or complication is preventable hypothyroidism. If the facts of the case were explained to the patients, none of them would choose thyroidectomy over treatment with131I. It is the responsibility of the physician to tell the patient the facts.
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