General Surgery

Answer 2 Radioiodine ablation. Radioiodine ablation is the mainstay of treatment in patients with thyroid tumors that have metastasized. This can eradicate any residual tumor without requiring an additional operation. External beam radiation therapy is typically reserved for patients with an unresectable tumor (this patient’s tumor has been completely resected). Reexploration with ipsilateral MNRD is not appropriate because the presence of positive cervical lymph nodes has already been determined. There is no basis for reexploration and radical neck dissection in this patient. SUGGESTED READINGS 1. Cameron JL, editor. Current surgical therapy. 8th ed. Philadelphia: Elsevier Mosby; 2004. 2. Townsend CM, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, et al. Sabiston textbook of surgery: the biological basis of modern surgical practice. 17th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders; 2004. Click here to return to the questions

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