June 2002 -- According to the Australia New Zealand Journal of Surgery, total thyroidectomy is now replacing partial thyroidectomy as the standard treatment for Graves' disease in that region of the world. (Note: the standard treatment in the U.S. for Graves' disease and hyperthyroidism is radioactive iodine treatment, also known as RAI.)

According to researchers, the complete removal of the thyroid is now recommended because the risk of hypothyroidism with subtotal thyroidectomy is high. Since one of the main reasons for partial removal is to leave enough thyroid tissue to prevent hypothyroidism, experts have determined that there is no added benefit to subtotal thyroidecotmy. The risk of complications from total thyroidectomy is also no higher than for a subtotal thyroidecotmy. Therefore, the authors recommend total thyroidectomy as the preferred treatment for Graves' disease.

Source: Barakate, et. al., "Total thyroidectomy is now the preferred option for the surgical management of Graves disease," ANZ Journal of Surgery, Volume 72 Issue 5 Page 321 - 2002 (see PubMed reference)