A historical perspective on surgery of the thyroid and parathyroid glands.

The history of thyroid and parathyroid surgery dates back thousands of years, but the developments leading to the contemporary era began just over a century ago. Pioneers in the field include Billroth, Kocher, Mayo, and Halsted. This article examines the historical progress of operating on the thyroid and parathyroid and the impact of physiology on surgery, surgery on physiology, and recent advances in technologies.