If a specially trained and experienced surgeon performs a thyroidectomy, it's generally very safe. Complications are uncommon, but the most serious possible risks of thyroidectomy include: Bleeding after surgery that could lead to acute respiratory distress.
Thyroidectomy is generally a safe procedure. But as with any surgery, thyroidectomy carries a risk of complications. Potential complications include: Bleeding.
A thyroidectomy is a treatment for a variety of conditions of the thyroid gland. A thyroidectomy is a common Trusted Source PubMed Central Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health Go to source but major surgery with serious risks and potential complications.
What is recovery like after thyroid surgery? After your thyroidectomy or thyroid lobectomy, you may have a temporary sore throat, neck pain, difficulty swallowing or a weak voice. Your diet will be restricted for the evening of your surgery, but in most cases, it can return to normal the next day.
The 5-year survival rate is almost 100% for papillary, follicular, and medullary thyroid cancers that have not spread outside of the thyroid gland (localized). The 5-year survival rate for papillary thyroid cancer that has only spread to lymph nodes or tissue in the neck (regional) is 99%.
A thyroidectomy is traditionally a minimally invasive surgery performed through a small horizontal incision in the front of the neck.
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.
The majority of the studies indicate a net increase in weight following total thyroidectomy, with the greater gain occurring within the first 2 years following surgery.
Major complications. Potential significant complications of thyroid surgery include hypoparathyroidism, haemorrhage, injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve, injury to the superior laryngeal nerve and thyrotoxic storm.
Because you will have hypothyroidism after your thyroid gland is removed, many thyroid patients assume they will experience weight gain. However, this is not always the case. Yes, some people will see their weight slightly increase, but weight may remain unchanged, or you may even lose weight.
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. Most patients only need acetaminophen (Tylenol) for discomfort.
Your voice probably will be hoarse, and you may have trouble talking. For most people, these problems get better within 3 to 4 months, but it can take as long as a year. In some cases, this surgery causes permanent problems with chewing, speaking, or swallowing.
Even if your nodule is cancerous, if it's less than 10mm in size you may not need surgery as they can be observed safely. Your doctor can discuss options with you. If a thyroid nodule is filled with fluid, the fluid can be drained out with a needle.
If the entire organ is taken out, it's a total thyroidectomy. The good news is that thyroidectomies are quite common—more than 150,000 are performed in the US each year—and the procedure is relatively safe. Still, as with any surgery, there can be complications.
The risk for developing a depression is increased around the time of having thyroid surgery, regardless of the extent of thyroid surgery. The risk can persist up to one year after a patient has a total thyroidectomy. This is important to increase awareness of physicians and patients to identify and treat this illness.
Surgery is an excellent, and seemingly superior treatment for Graves' disease, resulting in lower all-cause death rate, less medical and psychological complications, minimal relapse risk, and lower overall health care costs long-term. The only downside is the expected permanent hypothyroidism.
Most people who have thyroid surgery will feel better within 1-2 weeks, but recovery can take longer for some people.
After any operation, your body is using a lot of energy to heal itself, so you will feel more tired than normal. With a thyroid operation, there is another reason for tiredness. The thyroid produces hormones which control the speed at which your body works.
Your doctor may recommend surgery to remove part or all of your thyroid gland if it's overactive, has grown very large, or has nodules, cysts or other growths that are—or could be—cancerous.
You will need to take at least one or two weeks to recover before you return to work and other daily activities. You should not lift any heavy objects for about 2 weeks after your operation to avoid any strain on your neck. Your neck is likely to be swollen and may feel hard and numb right after the surgery.
Head of Bed: Please elevate the head of your bed 30-45 degrees or sleep in a recliner at 30-45 degrees for the first 3-4 days to decrease swelling. The skin above the incision may look swollen after lying down for a few hours.
The typical incision made for thyroid surgery is known as a "collar incision" in which a large incision (around 5 to 6 inches) is made stretching from one side of the neck to the other just above the collar bone.
If you're having an endoscopic or robotic thyroidectomy, the surgeon will use small instruments and a video camera to perform the procedure through tiny incisions. A catheter may be placed in the area to help drain blood and fluids.