ABSTRACT
Indications Thyroid operations are classified by the amount of thyroid tissue removed. The
removal of one thyroid lobe with or without the isthmus is described as a hemithyroidectomy or thyroid lobectomy. Subtotal thyroidectomy means the bilateral removal o f greater than 50% of each thyroid lobe as well as removal of the isthmus. The total removal of one lobe and the subtotal removal o f the other is a specific type of subtotal thyroidectomy also known as the Hartley-Dunhill procedure. The total removal of both lobes is properly termed a total thyroidectomy. If a small amount o f thyroid tis sue (< 1 gram) is left in the region of the ligament o f Berry on one or both sides the operation should be described as a near-total thyroidectomy.
