Post-operative care for thyroid cancer

  1. Position: lie down on the pillow on the day of surgery, 4h for patients under local anesthesia, 6h for patients under general anesthesia, after the patient is awake and blood pressure is stable, it is appropriate to take a semi-recumbent position, which is conducive to breathing and coughing up sputum, and to drainage of exudate.  2. Keep the respiratory tract unobstructed: clear respiratory secretions in time, encourage and assist patients to breathe deeply and cough effectively, expel sputum in time, cover the wound with both hands when coughing, and perform ultrasonic nebulized inhalation when necessary.  3. Line care: keep the drainage unobstructed, avoid pressure and folding, flush the drainage ball regularly, observe the nature, color and amount of drainage fluid. Observe and record whether there is blood leakage from the wound and the amount of blood leakage, and change the dressing in time for contamination; if there is bleeding and compression of the trachea causing respiratory distress, immediately notify the physician for timely treatment.  4. Diet: 1-2 days after surgery, enter a liquid diet, but do not overheat, so as not to cause vasodilation of the neck and aggravate wound bleeding. After normal eating, avoid spicy and stimulating food and food containing high iodine, not too hot and hard, food with high protein, high calorie and high vitamin diet is appropriate.  5. Psychological care: reasonable psychological adjustment, avoid overexertion, and keep sufficient sleep.  6. Strengthen functional exercise: instruct patients to practice neck activities after stitch removal to prevent scar contraction, and generally avoid strenuous activities of the neck for 2-3 months after surgery.