Aim: We aimed to evaluate the results of fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB), first and second surgical interventions and complication rates in patients who underwent completion thyroidectomy (TT).

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated medical records of 43 patients who had been operated on between January 2011 and December 2013.

Results: All patients underwent lobectomies both in their first and second surgical interventions. Thirty-eight (88.37%) patients were female and 5 (11.63%) were male. The mean age of the patients was 43.34±15.19 years. Malignancy was detected in 34 patients in the first surgery (papillary cancer in 31, medullary cancer in 2, and follicular cancer in 1). Nine patients were found to have a contralateral cancer according to the second surgery results. Nine patients, who had no cancer in the first operation, had still no malignancy in the contralateral lobe. Right lobectomy in 29 and left lobectomy in 14 patients were performed in the first operation. While FNAB detected benign cases with a rate of 27.2%, it could detect malignancies with a rate of 29.4%. Nerve injury and permanent hypocalcemia were not detected although the rate of temporary hypocalcemia was 39.5%(17 patients).

Conclusion: Completion TT is a safe method nowadays since the number of patients with subtotal thyroidectomy with more than one lobe declined and new techniques such as nerve monitorization have been employed.(The Medical Bulletin of Haseki 2015; 53: 225-8)