A Historical Account for Thyroid Surgery

Thyroid surgery is nowadays considered one of the most common surgical procedures globally. For nearly 4,000 years, thyroid gland pathology and surgery have been a field of observation, research, and interventions. From ancient references or drawings regarding thyroid shape or enlargement (goiter), to more recent years when the first surgical approaches to thyroid pathology were established, until today when evolution in imaging, biochemical methods, surgical instruments and adjuncts is in everyday thyroid clinical practice, many prominent individuals add information to the current knowledge on the field. Europe, America, and Asia provide a rich historical background where outstanding scientists have devoted their entire life to thyroid surgical pathology and treatment. A brief tribute to all these distinguished pioneers — by looking into this evolutionary progress throughout the years — is attempted in this work.