Surgery of the Thyroid and Parathyroid Glands

Course Overview

The field of thyroid and parathyroid surgery has recently undergone significant changes; thyroid cancer incidence has increased dramatically over the last several decades, technologic advances have been achieved in molecular analysis and development of targeted therapy, and thermal ablation of thyroid nodules has emerged as a promising treatment strategy. The American Thyroid Association is soon to publish a new set of medical and surgical thyroid nodule and thyroid cancer guidelines. There is a tremendous new data set that is important to convey to medical endocrinologists and thyroid and parathyroid surgeons. This course is a 2-day course about surgery of the thyroid and parathyroid glands, which has been offered since 1996. Preoperative evaluation, management and surveillance of low-risk thyroid cancer will be reviewed.  Contemporary management of advanced thyroid cancer will be covered, with topics ranging from neoadjuvant targeted therapy to surgical management of the invaded recurrent laryngeal nerve. Updates in the management of oncocytic carcinoma will be discussed. A debate will be held on thyroid ablation technology. The new Adult Complex Thyroid Surgery Focused Practice Designation will be reviewed. A range of topics in parathyroid disease will be covered, from preoperative localization to intraoperative use of autofluorescence to advances in long-acting PTH treatment for hypoparathyroidism. Panel discussions and a tumor board will highlight management options and challenges for thyroid and parathyroid conditions. 

Who Should Attend

• Specialty Physicians

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Describe contemporary management for low-risk thyroid cancer, including preoperative evaluation, surgical treatment, and postoperative surveillance. 

• Acquire familiarity with new ATA guidelines on thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer. 

• Explore recent advances the treatment of advanced thyroid cancer, including molecular analysis, neoadjuvant therapy, surgical management, and updates in pathologic classification. 

• Discuss the advantages and limitations of various thermal ablation options for treatment of thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer. 

• Develop and understanding of the new Adult Complex Thyroid Surgery Focused Practice Designation. 

• Discuss preoperative evaluation of hyperparathyroidism, including localization studies and indications for surgery based on current guidelines. 

• Evaluate the use of intraoperative parathyroid autofluorescence as an adjunctive surgical tool.