What is Thyroidectomy?
BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery), 6 years of experience
What is the meaning of Thyroidectomy?
Thyroidectomy is a surgical procedure done to remove a part of the whole of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped organ located at the base of the neck and is made up of two cone-like lobes or wings.
The main function of the thyroid gland is the regulation of metabolism (a process of converting the food consumed into energy) by the secretion of hormones. In a diseased condition, the activity or the size of the thyroid gland may become abnormal.
Thyroidectomy is usually performed in cases of thyroid cancer, goiter (enlarged thyroid), or lump in the thyroid.
Let us explain in detail about thyroidectomy in today’s article.
- What is the purpose of Thyroidectomy?
- What are the symptoms that indicate a need for Thyroidectomy?
- When should you avoid undergoing Thyroidectomy?
- What is the diagnostic procedure before undergoing Thyroidectomy?
- What is the preparation for Thyroidectomy?
- What is the procedure of Thyroidectomy?
- How to care after Thyroidectomy?
- What are the complications of Thyroidectomy?
- What is the cost of Thyroidectomy in India?
What is the purpose of Thyroidectomy?
Doctors recommend thyroidectomy in some of the following situations:
- Thyroid cancer: Thyroid cancer is the most common cause for undergoing thyroidectomy. The thyroid is either removed partially or completely for treatment. ( Know more about- What is Thyroid Cancer? Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Cost)
- Hyperthyroidism: When the thyroid gland is overactive and produces a lot of hormone thyroxine, one may need to undergo thyroidectomy if medications and radioactive iodine therapy (when radioactive iodine is used to shrink or kill the thyroid cells) do not work. ( Know more about- What is Hypothyroidism? Causes, Symptoms, Treatment)
- Goiter: The enlargement of the thyroid gland, which is usually non-cancerous in nature, is called goiter. A large goiter may cause discomfort in breathing and swallowing of food. It may even cause hyperthyroidism. Thyroidectomy is required in such a case.
- Indeterminate thyroid nodules: Some thyroid nodules cannot be classified as non-cancerous or cancerous even after performing a biopsy (a small tissue sample is taken and sent to the laboratory to check for its content). These nodules usually do not cause any symptoms but appear as lumps on the outside of the throat and cause difficulty in swallowing food. The doctor may suggest thyroidectomy if these nodules have a high risk of being cancerous.
What are the symptoms that indicate a need for Thyroidectomy?
There are some symptoms that indicate a thyroid disorder and may require thyroidectomy.
The following symptoms may indicate thyroid cancer:
- Difficulty breathing
- Change in voice
- Sore throat
- Visible lump in the throat ( Know more about- What is Throat Cancer? )
- Pain in the throat radiating to the ears
- Persistent cough without cold
The following symptoms are commonly seen in hyperthyroidism:
- Weight loss
- Hair fall ( Know more about- What is Hair Transplant? )
- Increased sensitivity to heat
- Increase in heart rate
- Feeling tired
- Muscle weakness
- Having trouble sleeping
- Irregular menstruation
- Increase in bowel movement
The symptoms of goiter are:
- Cough
- Enlargement of the throat
- Sore throat
- Respiratory distress ( Know more about- What is Lung Transplant? )
- Difficulty swallowing food
- Voice change
When should you avoid undergoing Thyroidectomy?
Thyroidectomy should be avoided in the following cases:
- If hyperthyroidism occurs due to a disorder of the immune system (a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that help the body fight infections), then it is advisable not to have a thyroidectomy.
- In the case of a pregnant woman, it is advisable to have thyroidectomy surgery only after the delivery so that the health of the mother and child is not affected.
What is the diagnostic procedure before undergoing Thyroidectomy?
- The doctor will first physically examine the patient and note down the family and medical history of the patient.
- The doctor may recommend the following diagnostic tests:
- Blood tests: The blood tests help in determining a thyroid disorder and the thyroid hormone.
- Imaging tests: Imaging tests like CT scan (series of x-rays taken are viewed through the computer), MRI scan (magnetic waves are used to create clear images of the internal organs), Ultrasound (sound waves are used to create an image of the internal organs) are recommended to show the exact location of the abnormal thyroid growth.
- Fine needle aspiration: A type of biopsy procedure that is done to check if the thyroid growth is cancerous or non-cancerous is called fine-needle aspiration. A thin needle is passed through the skin into the tissue growth and a sample of the same is sent to the laboratory for testing.
- Laryngoscopy: The vocal cords (folds of tissue in the throat that help in creating sound) are examined using an instrument called a laryngoscope, which is passed through the mouth into the throat to view the larynx (voice box) and the vocal cords.
What is the preparation for Thyroidectomy?
- Inform the doctor about any medications, herbs, or supplements that you may be taking.
- The doctor should be informed of any pre-existing medical conditions that you may be suffering from.
- The patient may be asked to stop taking any blood-thinning medications like aspirin and warfarin a few days before the surgery to prevent excessive bleeding during and after the surgery.
- The doctor may prescribe thyroid medicines or iodine treatment 1 to 2 weeks before the surgery in case of hyperthyroidism to keep the thyroid hormones in balance during and after the surgery.
- The doctor may prescribe an antibiotic medication before the procedure to prevent infection.
- The patient should not eat or drink anything after midnight the day before the surgery.
- The patient is asked to stop smoking at least two weeks before the surgery.
What is the procedure of Thyroidectomy?
The procedure is performed under general anesthesia.
There are several different approaches to perform thyroidectomy.
Conventional thyroidectomy:
- In this procedure, the surgeon makes a single in the center of the neck.
- The thyroid gland can be accessed directly by this method.
- After this, depending on the need, the entire or a part of the gland is removed. The surgeon tries not to damage the parathyroid as it is attached to the thyroid gland.
- In the treatment of thyroid cancer, the lymph glands are also removed.
- After removing the thyroid gland, the surgeon closes the incision using sutures (stitches).
Endoscopic thyroidectomy:
- In this procedure, smaller incisions are made in the neck.
- Some surgical instruments and an endoscope with a camera on one end will be inserted through these incisions.
- The camera will guide the surgeon during the removal of the thyroid gland.
- After the surgery, all the incisions are closed using sutures. ( Know more about- What is Endoscopy? Types, Method, Aftercare, Cost )
Robotic Surgery:
- In this procedure, an incision is made in the armpit region (known as an axillary incision) or via the mouth (transorally).
- The surgery is performed with the help of a console which consists of a camera and special equipment.
- The thyroid gland is either removed partially or completely.
- After this, the incision is closed with the help of stitches or sutures. ( Know more about- What is Robotic Surgery? )
Scarless thyroidectomy:
- This procedure is performed by surgeons through laparoscopy.
- In this method, a camera and surgical instruments will be inserted through three or four incisions in the lower part of the lip.
- With the help of a camera, the thyroid will be removed without leaving any surgical marks.
The thyroidectomy procedure usually takes 3 to 4 hours to complete.
How to care after Thyroidectomy?
After surgery, the patient will be kept in the hospital for a few days, where a team of doctors and nurses will regularly monitor the patient’s condition.
- The patient’s BP, heart rate, and breathing are monitored. However, as soon as the patient regains consciousness, he is shifted to a normal room. The breathing tube is removed from the throat.
- After surgery, patients can eat and drink comfortably, but there will be some difficulty during the initial days. Therefore, eat soft food and drink liquid things for a few days.
- If you had minor surgery, you could go home the same day. Be careful to rest your head and do not do any work that puts weight on the neck from the head.
- Do visit the doctor a week after the surgery for a follow-up.
- The patient can normally resume his/her daily activities the day after the surgery. However, complete recovery may take about 3 to 4 weeks.
- Strenuous activities like exercise should be performed 10 days after the surgery.
- The doctor may recommend pain medications to relieve any soreness or discomfort post-surgery.
- If a complete thyroidectomy (complete removal of the thyroid gland) has been performed, thyroid hormone replacement medications are given to the patient to replace the thyroid hormones and prevent hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid). This medicine needs to be taken for the rest of your life.
- In the case of partial thyroidectomy (partial removal of the thyroid gland) no such hormone replacement therapy is required as the portion of the thyroid gland that is still remaining will take over the function of the entire thyroid gland.
What are the complications of Thyroidectomy?
Thyroid surgery is generally considered safe, but there may be some complications.
- Scar or mark at the site of surgery
- Pain
- Bleeding from the incision
- Blood clot formation
- Changes in voice due to damaged vocal cords
- Sore throat
- Infection
- Damage to the parathyroid glands, causing low calcium levels and muscular spasms
- Injury to the windpipe (trachea) or food pipe (esophagus)
- Injury to the nerves that are connected to the vocal cords (known as recurrent laryngeal nerves)
- In case of thyroid cancer, additional forms of treatment (like radioactive iodine treatment) will be required
The patient should immediately call the doctor in case any of the above complications are seen.
What is the cost of Thyroidectomy in India?
The total cost of thyroidectomy in India can be around INR 60,000 to 65,000. Although, there are many big hospitals and experienced doctors in India for thyroidectomy. But the cost of thyroidectomy may vary across different hospitals.
If you are coming from abroad, then apart from the cost of your surgery, there will be additional expenses like hotel accommodation, local travel. After the surgery, the patient is kept in the hospital for two days and in the hotel for eight days for recovery. So, the total cost of thyroidectomy in India comes to be INR 90,000 to INR 1,40,000.
We hope that we could answer all your questions regarding thyroidectomy through this article.
If you want more information and treatment of Thyroidectomy (Thyroid Surgery), contact a General Surgeon.
We aim to provide you with information through this article. We do not recommend any medicine or treatment to anyone. Only a doctor can give you good advice and the correct treatment plan.
