In contrast, temporary and permanent laryngeal recurrent nerve injury, temporary and permanent hypoparathyroidism or hypocalcemia, brachial plexus nerve injury, number of retrieved central lymph nodes, number of retrieved lymph nodes in the lateral cervical region, number of lymph node metastases in the lateral cervical region, hematoma, seroma, lymphatic leak, stimulated thyroglobulin (sTg) and unstimulated thyroglobulin (uTg), and the number and recurrence rate of patients with sTg <1ng/ml were not statistically different between the two groups (P > 0.05). Here, TG is linked to metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes.