Prophylactic central neck lymph node dissection in low-risk thyroid carcinoma patients does not decrease the incidence of locoregional recurrence. A meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Ann Surg 2022; 276: 66-73.

There were five RCTs with 763 treated patients. Rates of recurrence were similar: 2.7 per cent after additional node dissection and 2.5 per cent after thyroidectomy alone. Node dissection increased the rate of permanent hypoparathyroidism: risk difference 3 per cent.

Comment; This result seems definitive.