Thyroid surgery is used to treat thyroid nodules, thyroid cancer, and hyperthyroidism. During this procedure, part or all of the thyroid gland is removed. The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland located at the front of the neck.
Why It Is Done
Surgery is used to treat thyroid problems if:
Thyroid cancer is present or is suspected.
A noncancerous (benign) nodule is large enough to cause problems with breathing or swallowing.
A fluid-filled (cystic) nodule returns after being drained once or twice.
Hyperthyroidism cannot be treated with medicines or radioactive iodine.
Surgery is used if the thyroid gland is so big that it makes swallowing or breathing difficult or thyroid cancer has been diagnosed or is suspected. Surgery also may be done if you are pregnant or cannot tolerate anti-thyroid medicines.
How Well It Works?
Success of a thyroidectomy to remove thyroid cancer depends on the type of cancer and whether it has spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body. You may need follow-up treatment to help prevent the cancer from returning or to treat cancer that has spread.
What is the procedure for Thyroidectomy?
A thyroidectomy is performed under general anesthesia and usually takes several hours. A small incision is made in the front of the neck, and all or part of the thyroid gland is removed, depending on the reason for the surgery.
You may have all or part of your thyroid gland removed, depending on the reason for the surgery.
Recovery after Surgery
People leave the hospital a few days after surgery. How much time you spend in the hospital and how fast you recover depend on your age and general health, the extent of the surgery, and whether cancer is present.
What To expect after Thyroidectomy?
If you have a total thyroidectomy, you will develop hypothyroidism and need to take man-made (synthetic) thyroid hormone for the rest of your life. If you have a lobectomy or subtotal thyroidectomy, you may have hypothyroidism and you may need to take thyroid medicine for the rest of your life.
You will most likely be treated with radioactive iodine after surgery for thyroid cancer to make sure that all the thyroid tissue and cancer cells are gone.
You may have a lobectomy, with or without isthmectomy, if your doctor suspects that a nodule may be cancerous. If you do have cancer, a surgeon usually will do a completion thyroidectomy within a week.
After surgery for hyperthyroidism, some people will have low calcium levels and may need to take calcium supplements.