 Total thyroidectomy is an increasingly common procedure performed where the entire thyroid gland is removed for either benign or malignant disease. Common indications include multinodular goiter, Graves disease, and thyroid carcinoma. Between 2006 and 2011 the number of total thyroidectomies performed in the United States increased by 12 per year, from 45,558 to 72,344 according the to the American Cancer Society.1-2 In 2011 48,000 total thyroidectomies were performed for malignant disease which often requires additional lateral neck dissection.2 