ABSTRACT
The surgical management of thyroid disease was described as early as the 1800s (1). Infection leading to sepsis and hemorrhage was frequently encountered. Perioperative mortality was common. It was not until Theodor Kocher perfected his technique of thyroidectomy that the mortality rate dropped to an acceptable level (1). Since then, refinements in medical management, anesthesia, and infection control, and an improved understanding of surgical anatomy have resulted in a rapid decrease in morbidity (2-8).
