Thyroid removal (thyroidectomy) isn't always the best option, but it's often recommended for thyroid cancer, large goiters, or severe hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) because it offers a high chance of cure or definitive control, though it requires lifelong hormone replacement. For some low-risk thyroid cancers, active surveillance (monitoring) may be a safer first step, while other hyperthyroidism cases might respond to medication or radioactive iodine. The best choice depends on the specific diagnosis (cancer, nodules, Graves' disease), cancer stage, and your overall health, requiring a discussion with your endocrine surgeon and doctor.
If your thyroid is overactive (hyperthyroid from Graves' disease or a what's called a toxic multinodular goiter), or the whole gland is enlarged and causing symptoms—such as a feeling of pressure or difficulty talking, breathing, or swallowing—the whole thyroid should be removed in a procedure called a total ...
Pain and stiffness
After a few weeks, any stiffness in your neck and shoulder should be much better. The hospital physiotherapist may give you advice on how to do some gentle neck and shoulder exercises following the operation. The exercises are to help prevent any permanent stiffness.
Yes, you can live without your thyroid. However, you'll need to take hormone replacement medication for the rest of your life in order to stay healthy and prevent certain side effects and symptoms. Thyroid removal surgery, known as a thyroidectomy, is a common surgery that can treat certain thyroid conditions.
Potential major complications of thyroid surgery include bleeding, injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve (see the first image below), hypoparathyroidism, hypothyroidism, thyrotoxic storm, injury to the superior laryngeal nerve (see the second image below), and infection.
Thyroidectomy is generally a safe procedure. But as with any surgery, thyroidectomy carries a risk of complications. Potential complications include: Bleeding.
This usually gets better within a few weeks, but can take up to 6 months to resolve. Even in the rare chance of having a permanently hoarse voice, there are things that can be done to improve voice quality.
Patients with hyperthyroidism commonly experience weight gain after thyroidectomy. This occurs due to the reduction in circulating thyroid hormone, thus ameliorating the weight-lowering effects of elevated thyroid hormones (4,5).
Recovery. Most patients will be eating, drinking, and walking around the night of their surgery. Typically, there is not a lot of pain involved with thyroid and parathyroid surgery. Rarely narcotic pain medication will be required, but it will be available to you if needed.
Good nutrition after thyroidectomy means being careful about foods that can slow recovery. This includes goitrogenic vegetables, soy-based products, and foods high in iodine. Knowing how these foods affect the thyroid helps people make better choices for their diet.
It should take about two to three weeks for you to fully recover. You should wait at least one to two weeks before returning to vigorous activities, like exercising and heavy lifting. You'll most likely have a small scar on the front of your neck after the surgery.
Here are 3 Alternatives to a Thyroidectomy:
Since patients with hypothyroidism may burn less calories than usual (see Hypothyroidism brochure), an underactive thyroid may cause some weight gain. There may be more weight gain with more severe hypothyroidism, however the weight change in hypothyroidism is usually much less dramatic than in hyperthyroidism.
"Say No to Thyroid Surgery" is an essential read for anyone navigating the complexities of thyroid disease. It educates patients about their options and serves as a critical resource for healthcare providers, encouraging a shift towards more conservative, patient-centric management of thyroid conditions.
This is because most cases of thyroid disease are linked to genetics and/or caused by autoimmune conditions, which you can't prevent. The two conditions you may be able to prevent are thyroid problems related to iodine excess or deficiency.
Columbia Thyroid Center surgeons perform minimally invasive thyroid surgery in over 95% of patients, typically using an incision measuring just an inch to an inch and a half in length. In addition to using very small incisions, our surgeons "hide" the incision in a natural skin crease which acts like camouflage.
Partial and total thyroidectomy are big operations. You need to be fit enough for a long operation and to make a good recovery afterwards. You have a pre assessment appointment before your surgery. You will have some tests and meet your healthcare team.
Your incision is covered with a waterproof protective dressing. You can shower and wash your hair as usual, but do not soak or scrub the dressing. After showering, pat dry. Your dressing will be removed at your first postoperative visit.
A: Thyroidectomy (surgery to removal all or part of the thyroid) may be required for patients with hyperthyroidism, goiter, thyroid nodules or thyroid cancer. Thyroid operations can last from 45 minutes to 3 hours.
Avoid eating hard or scratchy foods like chips or raw vegetables. Avoid orange or tomato juice and other acidic foods that can sting the throat. If you cough right after drinking, try drinking thicker liquids, such as a smoothie. You may notice that your bowel movements are not regular right after your surgery.
Levothyroxine weight gain may be tied to undertreatment, according to the ATA. To avoid this, people with a higher body weight should be prescribed a higher starting dose; doses should then be adjusted whenever there is a significant change in body weight.
Voice changes after thyroid surgery can be grouped into two categories: 1) those that occur due to damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) or the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (EBSLN), and 2) those classified as post-thyroidectomy syndrome, which occurs without nerve damage, resulting from ...
Complications can include injury to the parathyroid glands (located close to the thyroid gland) and/or the nerves that are associated with voice, and as is the case with all medical procedures, rarely death. Reassuringly, all of these are usually very rare in patients undergoing thyroid surgery.
RESUMING ACTIVITIES - It is advisable to sleep with the head of the bed elevated for the first week after surgery. This helps to minimize swelling to the surgical site. The head of the bed may be elevated by sleeping on two or three pillows or by placing several pillows under the mattress.
About surgery