What are the effects after surgical removal of thyroid cancer?

The main effect on the body after surgical removal of thyroid cancer is that it can lead to a decrease in thyroid function. The more thyroid tissue that is removed, the greater the impact on thyroid function is usually. As a result, patients may need to take thyroid hormones for a long time or for life after surgery. Thyroid hormones can lead to increased calcium excretion and accelerated calcium loss in the body. The above phenomenon is more pronounced in postmenopausal women and may cause a drop in blood calcium and osteoporosis. Therefore, it is recommended that patients should increase calcium-rich foods such as shrimp and bone broth in their diet, and foods with high vitamin D content, such as animal liver, egg yolk and cod liver oil, etc. Patients are encouraged to adhere to outdoor activities and get more sunlight. The former is mostly caused by direct injury, excessive pulling, clamping and suturing during surgery, and is often unilateral and temporary, and patients may have hoarseness and choking cough. The latter is caused by the inadvertent injury to the parathyroid glands during surgery, resulting in a decrease in parathyroid hormone levels and causing hypocalcemia, which can be relieved by intravenous calcium supplements.