*2.1. Outcome of the Study*

The primary outcome of the study was to evaluate whether prophylactic CLND improves disease-free survival in patients with DTC. The secondary outcomes were to assess whether prophylactic CLND is burdened by a higher incidence of postoperative complications, specifically RLN injury and hypoparathyroidism, and to evaluate the prognostic significance of occult lymph node metastases.
