You will receive detailed instructions from your endocrinologist and surgeon on how to get ready for your thyroidectomy. Make careful you adhere to them.

In the weeks leading up to your surgery, depending on the cause of your need for a thyroidectomy:

• A computed tomography (CT) scan or thyroid ultrasound may be necessary so your surgeon can precisely pinpoint the aberrant thyroid growth during surgery.

• Your doctor may use a fine needle aspiration, a sort of needle biopsy, if you have a nodule to determine whether it is malignant or benign (noncancerous).

• Your doctor might examine the health of your vocal cords.

• To stop the overproduction of thyroid hormones, you might need thyroid medication.

• Try to stop smoking if you do. Ask your provider for assistance.

At least one week before surgery:

• Discuss all of your prescription and over-the-counter medications with your healthcare physician. This includes dietary supplements and botanicals. Find out from your doctor which medications you should continue to take the day of surgery.

• You could be asked to temporarily cease taking blood-thinning medication by your doctor. Do it only if instructed to do so.

You must go many hours without eating or drinking anything besides water before your surgery. You will receive detailed instructions from your provider.

What happens during a thyroidectomy surgery?

An anesthesiologist will administer general anaesthetic before to your procedure in order to make you fall asleep, relax your muscles, and prevent pain. For the treatment, a breathing tube will also be inserted down your neck by your medical team.

There are a few methods your surgeon can reach your thyroid during a thyroidectomy, including:

• by making a typical incision in your neck.

• With the use of a video camera, through a minor incision (minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy).

• Through a long incision in either the back of your neck or the axilla (the area below your shoulder through which arteries and nerves enter and exit your upper arm).

Depending on your situation, your surgeon will remove

• A thyroid gland component (lobectomy).

• Your thyroid primarily (near-total thyroidectomy).

• Your whole thyroid (total thyroidectomy).

Your surgeon might take a sample of the lymph nodes surrounding your thyroid gland during surgery for a thyroid cancer diagnosis. If thyroid cancer is suspected, a pathologist will examine a lymph node sample taken during surgery. Your surgeon might also remove neighbouring lymph nodes in your neck if they discover malignant cells.

After your surgeon is finished, stitches will be used to close the incision (sutures).

It could take up to four hours to completely remove your thyroid. If your surgeon merely takes off a portion of your thyroid, it might go more quickly.

What can I expect after a thyroidectomy surgery

You'll probably be able to eat and drink something simple once you've fully recovered from anaesthesia.

Due to the breathing tube your medical team inserted during the procedure, your throat can be sore. A tiny tube (catheter) may also be inserted into your incision to aid in the drainage of any amassed blood and other fluids. One or two days following the procedure, your surgeon will remove the drain.

This section will inform you about thyroid surgery types, side effects, indications, and more:

What are the risks or possible complications of a thyroidectomy?

A thyroidectomy is typically highly safe if it is carried out by a qualified and experienced surgeon.

Although complications are rare, thyroidectomy poses the following particularly substantial risks:

• Bleeding following surgery that may cause severe respiratory discomfort.

• Injury to a recurrent laryngeal nerve, which in the extremely unlikely event that both nerves are injured, might result in immediate respiratory discomfort and temporary or permanent hoarseness.

• Your parathyroid glands, which are situated behind your thyroid, are damaged. These glands release parathyroid hormone, which regulates the amount of calcium in your blood. Damage to them during surgery may result in transient or, in rare cases, chronic hypoparathyroidism and hypocalcemia (low levels of calcium in your blood)

While these complications are rare, they’re more likely to happen if:

• You have a neck tumour that is invasive, and/or the cancer has spread to adjacent lymph nodes.

• You're having another thyroid operation.

• You have a big goitre that extends from the top of your chest under your collarbone (substernal goiter).

Conclusion

Surgery may be a stressful experience. Recognize that if carried out by a licenced and skilled surgeon, thyroidectomies are a common procedure and typically safe. Talk to your endocrinologist or surgeon if you have any queries or worries regarding your thyroidectomy. They are ready to assist you.