BACKGROUND-Benign multinodular goiter (MNG) is one of the most commonly treated thyroid disorders. While bilateral resection is the accepted surgical treatment for bilateral MNG, the appropriate surgical resection for unilateral MNG continues to be debated. Bilateral resection generally has lower recurrence rates but higher complication rates than unilateral resection. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to define the recurrence and complication rates of unilateral and bilateral resections in order to determine the appropriate intervention for patients with unilateral, benign MNG.