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Objectives: The optimal extent of surgery and postoperative management of patients with well differentiated thyroid carcinoma (WDTC) vary among countries and institutions. We assessed the practical management of WDTC in Korea by questionnaire and compared these results with those obtained in similar surveys of members of the Japanese Society of Thyroid Surgery (JSTS) and the International Association of Endocrine Surgeons (IAES)., Materials and Methods: Questionnaires were sent by mail or e-mail to 266 members of the Korean Association of Endocrine Surgeons (KAES). Ninety members (33.8%) completed the questionnaire; their responses were compared with those of the JSTS and IAES surveys., Results: Total thyroidectomy was more prevalent in the KAES and IAES than in the JSTS, irrespective of tumor size in the low-risk group. Patients with papillary microcarcinoma were more likely to undergo aggressive central compartment node dissection in the KAES than in the IAES or JSTS. Thyroid stimulating hormone suppression therapy was administered to a higher proportion of patients and for longer times in the KAES and IAES than in the JSTS. Postoperative radioactive iodine treatment was more prevalent in the KAES than in the JSTS. There were no differences between the KAES and the JSTS in the treatment of patients with locally advanced thyroid carcinoma. External irradiation and radioactive iodine treatment for recurrent papillary thyroid carcinoma were favored more by the KAES than the IAES and JSTS., Conclusions: The actual practices of members of the KAES were almost similar to those of the IAES, but differed from those in Japan in some aspects. In general, however, members of the KAES favored more aggressive treatment of WDTC than did physicians in other countries.

We investigate the current status of endoscopic thyroidectomy in Korea. A representative questionnaire was sent to 21 members of the Korean Association of Endocrine Surgeons who were thought to be performing endoscopic thyroidectomy. All the reply letters were collected and analyzed. The response rate was 95%. A total of 1616 cases of endoscopic thyroidectomy were performed from the year 1998 to the year 2005. The patients included 71 men and 1545 women, with a mean age of 36.17 years. The mean operation time was 124.18 minutes and overall length of hospital stay was 4.31 days. Thyroid lobectomy and nodular hyperplasia were the most common procedures and prominent pathologic findings. Axillary approach was the most popular operative approach method. Gas insufflation and skin-lifting gasless method were used in 800 cases and 816 cases, respectively. Postoperative complication rate was 14.2%. Skin paresthesia was the most common complication. Conversion rate to conventional thyroidectomy was 2.2%. Korean experiences show that endoscopic thyroidectomy is a technically safe and feasible procedure. It is considered to be an important surgical tool that can be further progressed and that also has an excellent potential in a management of thyroid neoplasm.