Thyroid surgery is indicated for patients with thyroid cancer, benign thyroid nodules, goiter, hyperthyroidism, and other thyroid disorders. The following questions are commonly asked by patients who will undergo thyroid surgery.
Why do I need surgery?
This question is often asked when surgery is recommended after examination of a patient’s thyroid swelling. Surgical treatment is still one of the primary treatments for hyperthyroidism and symptomatic thyroid tumors.
Are there other treatment options besides surgery?
Surgery is mandatory for patients with a diagnosis of thyroid cancer or suspected thyroid cancer. For patients who are not considered to have thyroid cancer, non-surgical treatment options exist and patients should discuss other treatment options with their physician.
What other evaluations do I need to have before surgery?
All patients undergoing thyroid surgery should have a thorough preoperative history and a detailed physical examination, including an evaluation of their cardiac function. Any patient with voice changes or a history of neck surgery will require a preoperative examination of vocal cord function.
How do I choose my surgeon?
In general, thyroid surgery should be performed by a surgeon who is specially trained and performs thyroid surgery frequently, as only surgeons who perform a certain number of thyroid surgeries per year have a relatively low complication rate.
What are the risks of surgery?
The risks of thyroid surgery include
1) Bleeding and acute respiratory distress;
2) Damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve resulting in permanent hoarseness;
3) damage to the parathyroid glands, resulting in lower blood calcium levels and convulsions.
4) Hypothyroidism; for an experienced surgeon, the complications of the procedure are less than 2%.
How much thyroid tissue needs to be removed?
Patients should talk to their doctor about the thyroid surgery procedure and how much thyroid tissue needs to be removed.
What else can I expect to know once I have surgery?
Patients will be scheduled for a pre-operative exam and will be scheduled to meet with an anesthesiologist. You will not be allowed to eat or drink from midnight the day before surgery and you will be asked to leave your valuables and jewelry at home. The surgery usually takes 2-2.5 hours, then you will be slowly awakened in the recovery room with a drainage tube in your neck incision and some pain in your throat from the anesthetic cannula. Once you are fully awake, you will be transferred to your room and you will be able to eat at that time. Most thyroid surgery patients only need to stay in the hospital for 7-10 days and can be discharged after the stitches are removed. Daily activities can be performed the day after surgery. Swimming and some heavy physical activities should be delayed until 10 days after surgery.
Will I be able to return to normal after surgery?
The answer is yes, once you have recovered from the effects of the surgery, you can do anything you could do before surgery. Many patients have symptoms of hypothyroidism after surgery, which requires treatment with thyroid hormones.