All you need to know about thyroidectomy

Thyroidectomy is the removal of all or part of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck. It produces hormones that regulate every aspect of your metabolism, from your heart rate to how quickly you burn calories.

Thyroidectomy is used to treat thyroid disorders, such as cancer, and a noncancerous goiter (hyperthyroidism).

If only a portion is removed (partial thyroidectomy), the thyroid gland may be able to function normally after surgery. If the entire thyroid gland is removed (total thyroidectomy), you need daily treatment with thyroid hormone to replace the normal function of the thyroid gland.

Why is this done
Thyroidectomy may be recommended for conditions such as:

Thyroid cancer. Cancer is the most common reason for thyroidectomy. If you have thyroid cancer, removing most, if not all, of your thyroid is likely a treatment option.
If you have a large goiter that is uncomfortable or causes difficulty breathing or swallowing, or in some cases, if the goiter is causing an overactive thyroid.

 Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone. If you have problems with antithyroid medications and do not want radioactive iodine treatment, thyroidectomy may be an option.

Risks

Thyroidectomy is generally a safe procedure. But as with any surgery, thyroidectomy carries the risk of complications.

Possible complications include:

bleeding
infection
Airway obstruction caused by bleeding
Weak voice due to nerve damage
Damage to the four small glands located behind the thyroid gland (parathyroid gland), which can lead to hypoparathyroidism, resulting in abnormally low calcium levels and an increased amount of phosphorous in the blood

food and medicine

If you have hyperthyroidism, your doctor may prescribe medication — such as an iodine-potassium solution — to regulate thyroid function and reduce the risk of bleeding.

You may need to avoid eating and drinking for a certain period of time before surgery, as well, to avoid complications from anesthesia. Your doctor will provide specific instructions.

before this procedure
Surgeons usually perform a thyroidectomy during general anesthesia, so you won't be conscious during the procedure. The anesthesiologist or anesthesiologist gives you numbing medicine as a gas — to breathe through a mask — or injects the liquid medicine into a vein. A breathing tube is then placed into the windpipe to assist with breathing throughout the procedure.

The surgical team places several monitors on your body to help make sure your heart rate, blood pressure and blood oxygen remain at safe levels throughout the procedure. These monitors include a blood pressure cuff on your arm and a heart monitor leading to your chest.

During this procedure
Once you're unconscious, your surgeon will make a small incision in the center of your neck or a series of incisions some distance from your thyroid gland, depending on the surgical technique he's using. Then all or part of the thyroid gland is removed, depending on the reason for the surgery.

If you have had a thyroidectomy as a result of thyroid cancer, the surgeon can also examine and remove the lymph nodes around your thyroid. Thyroidectomy usually takes a few hours.

After surgery, you are taken to a recovery room where your health care team will monitor your recovery from surgery and anesthesia. Once you are fully conscious, you will move to the hospital room.

After a thyroidectomy, you may experience neck pain and a hoarse or weak voice. This does not necessarily mean that there is permanent damage to the nerve that controls the vocal cords. These symptoms are often temporary