Thyroid surgery is performed for several reasons and can include
symptomatic thyroid nodules, recurrent thyroid cysts, goiter, Graves’ disease,
and to rule out or treat thyroid cancer. The purpose of thyroid surgery is
to remove part or all of the thyroid gland. You will be in the hospital usually
one night. Your surgeon will explain your specific surgery and why it is
recommended in your case.
As with any surgical procedure, there are risks involved. There is
a risk of bleeding, but this is very low. The average blood loss is less
than an ounce. The risk of infection is so low that antibiotics are not
routinely used. There is also a very low risk of injury to important
nerves in the neck, called recurrent laryngeal nerves. These nerves
control the vocal cords. Injury to these nerves could affect your
voice. The parathyroid glands are located near the thyroid gland and may
be injured during thyroid surgery. This can result in a drop in blood
calcium levels. There is also a small risk associated with
anesthesia. However, the relative risk of complications is very low and is
usually outweighed by the potential benefits of having the surgery. Your
surgeon will go over this information with you and answer any questions you
might have.
Before Your
Appointment
Our physicians want to make sure we are prepared for your visit and
therefore, before we can schedule an appointment, we will need you to
provide us with the following:
- Medical
records
- Biopsy
report
- Cytology
report
- Ultrasound
images (on CD) and report
Before Surgery
Once the surgery has been scheduled, arrangements will
be made for your pre-operative evaluation. The pre-op exam can include
laboratory work, chest X-ray, and EKG. This will be done at the Hisar
Hospital Outpatient Center and will be scheduled by your surgeon’s
secretary.
If you take aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
agents, you should stop taking these one week before surgery. The night
before surgery, do not have anything to eat or drink after midnight. Get a
good night’s sleep.
What will happen in
surgery?
You will be given general anesthesia to put you to sleep. You are
positioned with special pillows under your neck to tilt your head back. An
incision is made at the base of your neck and is about three to four inches
long. Using magnifying lenses, the surgeon locates the thyroid gland and
associated structures and all or part of the thyroid is removed. In some
cases additional surgery will involve removal of lymph nodes and other structures.
The incision is stitched closed and is then covered with steri-strip tapes and
a dry gauze dressing. The operation generally lasts from two to three
hours.
After Surgery
The evening after surgery you will have a liquid diet for
dinner. You may have a sore throat. The nurse will provide lozenges
and/or throat spray to help relieve this. If you need something for pain,
the nurse will give you a liquid pain medicine. You will have a dressing
on your neck which will be removed in the morning. The head of your bed will
be raised to decrease swelling. You will have an intravenous line to give
you fluids until the next day. You will have routine blood tests. You
will be offered regular food the next morning. Most people are ready to go home
after breakfast.
How will I feel
after surgery?
Everyone is different. You will most likely be tired and a bit sore
for a few days. You may have pain not only from your incision, but also
from muscle soreness in your upper back and shoulders. This is from the
positioning in the operating room during the surgery. You will have liquid
pain medicine in the hospital and a prescription for pain pills at home.
You may have a sore throat. This is a result of the placement of
anesthesia tubes during surgery. Throat lozenges and spray usually help. Your
neck may be slightly swollen as well. You may feel like you have a lump in
your throat when you swallow. This will improve after a few days but may
continue for a week or so. If you notice sudden swelling in your neck
contact your surgeon and Hospital. Your calcium level may drop after
surgery. This is related to disturbance of the parathyroid gland, which
regulate calcium balance. This will be monitored through blood tests. You
may notice numbness and tingling of your fingers or around your mouth. You
will have instructions about taking calcium replacement if needed.
Recovering at Home
Most people take 1 to 2 weeks off to recover. You should not drive
for at least a week. There are no other restrictions. Depending on the
amount of thyroid tissue that was removed and the reason for your surgery, you
may be placed on thyroid hormone, Your doctor will discuss your situation with
you.
Price
Thyroid Surgery - Thyroidectomy
(minimally invasive): USD $ 4,290 - Book Now!
Author: Assoc. Prof. Yavuz Selim Yildirim
Posted: 18
September 2019 at 13:58 UTC
Last Updated: 9 January 2024 at 10:56 UTC
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